


Regarding Your Inquiry

by hakumei_hogosha



Series: Per Your Request [2]
Category: Aldnoah.Zero (Anime)
Genre: Happy Ending, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-29
Updated: 2016-07-25
Packaged: 2018-07-10 21:13:24
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 8
Words: 31,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7007197
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/hakumei_hogosha/pseuds/hakumei_hogosha
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i> There are things he alone cannot do.</i>
</p><p>Optional sequel to <em>Per Your Request</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Snowdrop

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** I place this note as a potential warning that some works are better off where they originally finish. Per Your Request I can't help think is in a good spot where it ends. However, some works seem to still manifest more content, which has occurred to me. Thus I warn you to tread carefully forward if you decide to see what potentially occurs after that ending. 
> 
> If you decide to, I sincerely hope you enjoy and thank you for reading.

-&Z-

A new day begins with the rummages of a household waking up. Somehow without fail, the family has issues with the morning chores after having repeated them so many times before the past two to three years.

"How... how do you go through so many eggs so fast?" Kirsten asks in an exasperated voice. She ran her hand through her bed hair while looking at the refrigerator, perhaps hoping some eggs were hiding.

Inaho turned off the stove elements and walked to Kirsten, much to her displeasure. She anticipated Inaho's response. "Eggs are an excellent source of protein and the current shopping list has not been adjusted to account for me living here from now on."

Kirsten massaged her forehead and closed the refrigerator. She murmured an incomprehensible comment but the brunette could easily determine what she poorly tried, if at all attempting, to hide. "First my son's.... and now... now my refrigerator."

Inaho sighed; there was no point trying to correct her after a multitude of attempts and the person in question was not present to pick up the futile battle. He moved on with his tasks to retrieving what he had made for breakfast. Upon entering the dining room, the side door opened and Inaho could not hold back a small smile forming on his face.

"Welcome back." Inaho addressed the new arrival.

Slaine hung his jacket next to the door. "Th-thank you. I'm back."

"Your welcome." Yuri remarked as he turned a page in the newspaper.

"Yuri..." Slaine began. It was too early for this he thought. He went to Inaho to assist but the brunette instead brushed Slaine's head frivolously and vivaciously. "In-Inaho! What's the meaning of this?!"

Slaine attempted to shield his head from Inaho's hands but was distracted upon seeing his mother walk out of the kitchen and into the dining room. She leaned on the doorway and sighed, an arm propped on her waist, "Isn't it too early for this you two?"

"Mom-- whoa!" Slaine exclaimed as Inaho stumbled upon him. "Inaho!"

For a moment Slaine was bewildered when seeing Inaho slightly annoyed at him but the red eye was determined and fixated. "Hair."

"Hair?" Slaine repeated and only understood after Inaho grabbed something from his head -- a leaf. "Oh."

The ashen blond tried to gather any blindly, much to Inaho's chagrin and soon Slaine attempted to lower his head but only fueled Inaho's displeasure even if it was more efficient.

"Was it six centimeters?" Slaine pondered aloud.

Inaho sidestepped the conversation as he brushed what leaves and twigs had fallen on Slaine's head. "You fell asleep in the garden house--"

Slaine interjected. "Yes but there--"

"Not in the bed." Kirsten countered and smiled mischievously at Slaine, who could only gulp and obediently sat down at the table.

Yuri muffled a snicker and hid behind his newspaper only to be kicked on the shin under the table by Slaine. Once Kirsten and Inaho sat at the table, they began to eat breakfast with Kirsten was the last to grab her set of pancakes as it was still a sight to behold. Many days has this become the norm yet each day it still felt like a dream to her. Unreal.

"Mom?" Slaine questioned with a slight tone of concern. He sat across from her and noticed she had now idly sat without eating the pancakes.

She smiled and assured her son. "Ah yes... Inaho's over egg-saturated pancakes..." She teased while thinking she wouldn't have this morning any other way.

 

_______________________

-Inaho.1-

Knock. Knock.

"Come in." Inaho said without moving from the mirror. He already knew who was at the door.

From the mirror's reflection, Inaho could see Slaine walk in and lay the car keys on the counter. Slaine murmured, "Your punctuality is worsening, Kaizuka Inaho," as he acquired a mug and acquired a cup of coffee, warmly brewed. It was clear Inaho had already prepared for this.

Inaho walked away from the mirror in his washroom and retrieved a wool sweater from behind the washroom door. "Or your coffee intake is beginning to warrant the possibility you've become addicted." The brunette was implying perhaps Slaine was arriving earlier.

Slaine's eyes narrowed while sipping the cup of coffee. The ashen blond sighed and approached the brunette who had got the last of the things he needed to bring for work. Slaine had placed the mug down and went to adjust Inaho's tie. "I wonder whose fault it is to encourage these bad habits."

Inaho smirked when Slaine smile at his handiwork. The brunette went to kiss Slaine whose smile matched Inaho's smirk. Immediately Slaine straightened his back and what Inaho had tried to reach for was now further than he had hoped. Slaine rested a hand on Inaho's shoulder, fearing what had appeared earlier today would repeat and the ashen blond whispered into Inaho's ear, "Six centimeters off--"

The brunette walked away abruptly and put on his windbreaker. he reached the door and with his iconic expressionless face informed Slaine, "We need to go now or we'll be stopped at the gate again."

Slaine smugly smiled at Inaho who beckoned him to drop the topic and to continue on their way. For a moment the two stared and remained unmoved before Slaine relented by grabbing the car keys. Inaho opened the door and let Slaine out first but before leaving Inaho's flat, the ashen blond pecked the brunette's cheek.

"No need to pout Kaizuka Inaho," Slaine commented in a teasing tone as he headed down the stairs.

"Wait." Inaho brusquely said after locking the door to his flat.

"What now, Kaizuka?" Slaine asked when turning to Inaho and got an immediate answer. Soft lips had pressed on his followed by a gentle nibble on his lower lip.

Slaine tried to back away but Inaho held his hand. They were at the stairs and Inaho had taken advantage of the fact Slaine was approximately his height when two steps down. "Careful," Inaho warned.

"Whose fault is it again?" Slaine exclaimed, blushing and swiped his hand from Inaho.

"Yours."

Slaine stomped his first step back down the staircase upon hearing that and made his way to the pickup truck. Inaho followed albeit a bit more closely and did not speak until they were leaving the house.

"Lovers kiss on the lips before departing for work." Inaho commented and was faced with Slaine in disbelief. Thankfully they had reached a four way stop as Slaine rested his head on the wheel.

"You're... unbelievable, " Slaine mumbled before continuing to drive Inaho to work.

Inaho smiled when hearing Slaine start to rant and ramble as they drove. He reckoned the ashen blond would soon comment how he was tuning him out or not listening. However Inaho did not mind. Just hearing Slaine talk, made the day seem brighter; it showed how far they've gone since two years ago.

The silence. The glares. The resentment. The bitterness. The hopelessness. The resigned man who desired no future, who had no need of a future.

All seemed to have dissipated, melted or faded away. Was it due to time or was it due to budding relationship they had? Inaho could not and did not desire to pinpoint the cause.

"Are you even listening?" Slaine asked as Inaho expected.

 _"Ah just on cue."_ Inaho thought until finally he realized they were once again stopped at the gate.

"My god... you're not listening... stop smiling dumbfoundedly and... and..." Slaine stammered as he saw a guard come by. The ashen blond groaned as surely they were going to get reprimanded again all thanks to Inaho's lax to authority and protocol.

Inaho continued to smile and as the guard approached him asking for his documents, Inaho couldn't help thinking today would be a good day.

 

_______________________

 

Meanwhile at an airport's baggage claim, a Japanese woman chuckles mischievously while looking at her phone before looking up. She retrieved her luggage and headed out.

"Just you wait, Nao-kun!" Yuki announced.

As Yuki adjusted her cream-colored jacket, a man using a cane walked through the automatic doors into the airport. The man lowered his black scarf and surveyed the people, obviously trying to find someone. He withdrew his gaze from the crowd and to his peacoat's pocket, where he retrieved his phone. The caller ID read, "Eddel." Upon answering and looking forward, the man found the person on the other end. Even in the midst of the airport crowd, the two could see each other and shared the same determined look.

"He... Hello... Harklight," the former handmaiden greeted in a hesitant voice.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N2:** Snowdrops are used to convey messages signifying a bright future, rebirth, positiveness and/or hope.
> 
> Thanks for reading!


	2. (Purple) Hydrangeas

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He was left with no other option but to clumsily hope.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Hydrangea carry various meanings depending on the culture and its color. Purple in particular carry the message of "desiring a better, deeper understanding of someone."

-Slaine.1-

 

One twisting motion and the ignition came to a stop. The engine died but with his permission. The car was not dead. The car could be revived. It was not yet forgone. The scent of gas still wavered and filled the immediate air around him.

_"Even the gas is natural,"_ Slaine mused to himself and left the car, the car door slamming behind him.

With trembling hands, he reached for the door into his sanctuary, his asylum or his heavily decorated prison cell. Steadily the somewhat rusty doorknob creaked as he pulled it in his grasp and walked into the garden house. The air was more humid and hotter inside. However the air within was far more pungent to his nose. His eyes watered as it overwhelmed his senses. He welcomed it. He encouraged this illusion so-called reality to take hold of him.

Slaine closed his eyes and inhaled deeply, slowly exhaling afterward. He took in the air and everything about it. The air was fresh; it was not filtered and recycled as that of space. He could smell the residual morning dew and feel the dampness of the lingering water vapor. Furthermore there was far more scents than what he could easily see. Things he could not see were aromatic but warranting no unnecessary concern. The new aromas were simply from the produce that were ready to be harvested.

However, there was one thing that didn't change from either space or his prison cell. Before he proceeded further into the garden house, he retrieved his garden gloves from his jacket and put them on, pulling at them as much as he could for it to fit as well as it could. He then removed his heavy jacket and left it crumbled on the nearby bench to the door. Even now, Slaine though the jacket was excessive but he could not refuse his mother and now also Inaho.

_"Stay warm! I understand space was colder but still there's more to the environment here than space to consider_!" His mother had once lectured him and perhaps more memorable than what Inaho had told him. If anything he griped at how he sweated even more in the jacket when still having to put heat on a springy day such as today for Inaho's drive to work.

He turned around and grinned as his heel dug itself into the dirt. The sound it generated warmed his heart, more so than he wish he admitted. He had done this action every day he has walked in and each time felt like the first. The dampness the deeper he dug into the ground made him to shudder momentarily. It was discomforting to realize the difference in texture and the unpleasantness that came to mind. Mud, untidiness... everything undesirable to the nobility of Vers. _"Scum." "Terran_." All the insults were starting to flood into his mind but the vicious venom and bite that had once made him tremble no longer affected him. Sure he had dulled his senses to them when he had risen to count and leader of the Orbital Knights. Yet now.. now more than ever they were powerless to him. Terran in particular was becoming more comforting and the earth below him exemplified that.

Walking forward he passed the shrub and smirked. When he had first started working in this garden house, the shrub had practically ruled the interior and in such a manner that made Inaho concerned. Slaine reached for the shrub's branches and was pleased with its current length. He had cut it just enough to still satisfy and annoy the brunette. If Inaho and the empress were condemning him to live here, then Slaine would take every chance he could get away with to retort at the brunette's displeasure. Slaine had given up trying to change their minds; their stubbornness was unmatched and Slaine had experience on the former's.

Not a single day passes without Slaine believing he should have been executed back then.

He stopped inspecting the shrub and passed through the passageway it covered, into the other half of the garden house. Once a time, there were both yellow and red roses filling the outer back wall but nothing of it remained. Orange. Only orange roses resided there and as much as he disliked the color, he couldn't help tolerate it. Multiple times in the past two years he tried to 'correct' it as much as he knew mother nature had other plans. All such attempts only led to a variety in the hue of the orange roses. Some were more red. Others were more yellow. It did not change the fact however, the roses were all orange.

Slaine did not proceed to the roses and instead turned to his right, kneeling to what may seem like a field of leaves. Immediately he grabbed at a pair of leaves and pulled out a carrot. Just as he expected, they were ready to harvest and looked satisfactory in size. He did not continue pulling the others and instead turned around to the left side of the area. On the left, he had grown tomatoes, which were beginning to look cramped. Slaine sighed in relief as he had fretted over the timing. He was unsure whether or not the carrots would be ready by the time the tomatoes would require more space.

"There was no need to worry anymore." He told himself while stretching his arms and hands before turning to the carrots.

He was here to stay, tending the earth and striving for a hopeful obtainable future for Vers' common people.

_____________

 

-Inaho.2-

 

Inaho sat at his desk. He was physically at work yet his mind was far from it. To be exact his mind was a good half hour away from his workplace and determining the best course of action for the current predicament before him. Inaho's eyes were fixated on his phone.

_"The possibility of him receiving my text in time..."_  Inaho debated. That would not work. Preemptively and forewarning the ashen blond of what was to occur would only worsen the already dismal situation.

Could he trust the ashen blond to react accordingly? Reasonably?

The brunette finally looked away from his phone and towards the clock ticking away on the opposite side of his office. Mentally, he was calculating how long he had before the point of no return. He covered the eyepatch residing on his left eye and once more looked to the phone. The possible outcomes were not looking good in his mind. The best he could think of was nothing more than a mere estimate and even then he couldn't help feeling it was biased. He was hoping for something. His logic was not helping him as much as he hoped.

_"Incorrect,"_  he reasoned. Logic was not something he could use on Slaine for any situation. Logic never was an option even for himself when it involved Slaine. Emotions did and emotions were never Inaho's strong point.

Inaho tried to reason through his approach, nonetheless and no matter how futile it seemed. He knew there were other ways he could have prepared for this. Kirsten had apprehended him about this matter after Slaine and Inaho's supposed first night together to reiterate how disastrous this situation in his hands could be. He knew exactly how the other party would act and in the past reasoned what was about to occur, was all right... back then.

Now he was unsure. Inaho's face contorted into an expression of unease. He didn't like this mindset at all. He also didn't like what he was about to do yet for all his consideration, he could not think of a better course of action.

Inaho had pressed an all too familiar speed dial key and placed the phone next to his ear.

Ring.

Ring.

Ring.

_____________

 

-Call to Arms-

 

"You seem to have finally settled on Earth," Eddelrittuo commented. She hummed while looking around Harklight's residence.

From the outside, Harklight's residence resembled like many of the nearby households -- one large infrastructure in the back or side of a typical civilian household and perhaps too many acres for one family, let alone a person to possess.

"Yes," Harklight confirmed in a weaker voice. The two had entered the large building, which rendered Eddelrittuo comment more of a sarcastic remark.

Inside the large infrastructure, Harklight had established a makeshift hangar where something massive stood under a tarp. Eddelrittuo coyly looked at Harklight as she approached the foot of the tarp, where it was very evident what was under the tarp. Promptly, Harklight hobbled his way over and adjusted the tarp.

He defended himself, "In case of emergencies--"

Eddelrittuo interjected. "A very good call... after all we are potentially facing one."

The former handmaiden's expression was no longer that of a young girl, anxiously trying to address every need of a long-departed princess. Instead in the handmaiden's place was a woman bravely marching forward into her new responsibilities and more aware than before of how harsh the world may be, how little the world cared about birthright or circumstances.

Harklight had fallen silent and studied Eddelrittuo who had walked over to the nearby wall. Unlike the tarp, Harklight hid nothing of his true nature. Various gadgets and weaponry adorn the wall and tabletop much like a man would arm his tool shed with fieldwork tools. Eddelrittuo gripped one of the weapons carefully and familiarity when Harklight opened his mouth to speak.

Eddelrittuo could already guess what he was going to ask. "We have a week to handle this ourselves before the countess takes matters in her own hands."

"I see." Harklight began and reached his chin, thinking. "Realistically we have less than that as--"

The two stared at one another and just like before in the airport, their expressions had fallen grim.

"Lord Slaine will definitely know considering he is their target." Eddelrittuo bitterly said.

_____________

 

-Slaine.2-

 

His mother's hand rose from her side and hinted for him to stay back. Something was off. Something was uncomfortably wrong before them.

The two had returned to their house from the garden house and when arriving at their house, they found a parked taxi in the driveway and clearly the sound of voices from within the house. From the window they could see the regular taxi driver had settled himself at their dining table and drinking a cup of coffee. Yuri's voice could be heard from outside and immediately Slaine picked at how forced and slightly stressed the older man's voice sounded.

"Odd. There shouldn't be any clients visiting for another week." Kirsten whispered. The two had hid by the side of the workshop while keeping an eye on the house.

"Even if it was an unprecedented client, the taxi driver wouldn't have stayed long enough to idly drink his coffee." Slaine pointed out.

Slaine kneeled onto one knee and surveyed the area. Old habits died hard and resurfaced. His breath had become shallow and his palms were becoming sweaty from nervousness but in one brief moment, he braced himself for the potential abnormality before him. It was one habit he was thankful to have gained and retained from his time in space.

"You can't stay much longer outside Mom. Yuri would be expecting you to return any moment now." Slaine added. They couldn't stay outside for much longer; they were bound to be seen if they remain in sight of the window.

The instant Slaine recognized the taxi driver's gaze looking in their direction, Slaine quietly retreated behind his mother and tried to remain out of sight.

"Tsk." Kirsten cursed under her breath for she knew she was seen and in response, waved and smiled at the taxi driver. She mumbled under her breath, "Slaine, you--"

"I'll be fine Mom." Slaine interrupted. Another moment wasted is another potential source of suspicion. He knew this from experience.

After waving her hand and starting her walk towards the house, she momentarily slowed. "Even so..." She started before being interrupted. Even from her distance, she could hear an obnoxious ring tone and vigorous vibration from her son's direction.

Slaine's expression turned to annoyance upon seeing who the caller was and immediately answered his phone. The orange cell phone strap nonchalantly jingled in his gesture to put the phone next to his ear. "Your timing--"

Kirsten looked at her son confused for Slaine's eyes widened and his lips had quivered. She guessed the caller was the notorious Japanese boy but could not discern what could have been possibly said to warrant such an expression. Without further delay, Kirsten rushed to the house when realizing what it could be.

Inaho demanded, "Trust me Slaine and wait for me."


	3. (White) Heather

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They were together but worlds apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** White heathers symbolize protection and wishes come true.

-Inaho.3: Two years ago-

Lightning struck the sky with a thunderous roar. The rain pitter-pattered on the windshield. The window wipers screeched every so often as it wiped the rain away. Silently Inaho navigated his way to Kirsten Troyard's home in his rental car.

_"Japanese boy. If you're planning to visit next month, think it'll be plausible for you to visit during this week instead?" Kirsten asked._

_Inaho and she were looking over the workshop calendar, where Inaho could see the particular week she was referring to. During that particular week, Yuri and Kirsten were going to a conference, which would take a week long over in Geneva._

_"I imagine Slaine cannot go with us as much as the topic would suit his fancy. Similarly, he hasn't expressed any concern over the matter of being alone but..." Kirsten went on. Inaho had yet to speak yet had turned to the woman, who soon gently smiled at him in return. She was definitely a mother. "Consider it a mother's request, will you?"_

_Inaho was able to grant her request after much shifting of his workload, which he led to his curr_ ent predicament. He was unable to inform anyone at the house and thus, had to rent a car to get him to his destination.

 _"Unforeseen yet expected expenses are becoming common,"_ Inaho observed when stopping at a four-way and sighed. _"That's a lie."_

There was one person he could contact at the house. However he refused to call. He would and could not be the first one to use that.

Inaho resumed his drive and as the long road stretched before him, he let his eye wonder briefly to his bag. A dormant flip phone resided but was readily within his grasp if it were to ever ring. Albeit, it has yet to ring. Only one person's contact information was on that phone. Not even the UFE knew about the line and Inaho intended for it to remain that way. He wanted that person's trust but...

Inaho grimaced and decided to park to the side of the road. His one remaining eye began to throb with pain and without hesitation, Inaho retrieved a bottle and popped a pill. Effectively, Inaho had been awake for over thirty hours at this point. Obviously the weariness was started to take the better of him as he debated things he normally wouldn't or rather the things he didn't want to think about now, things he himself could not discern were beginning to surface.

"Is waiting the right thing in this situation?" Inaho wondered and looked to the ceiling after drinking some water, resting his head on the back of the car seat.

If he was his sister or Dr. Yagari, he knew either would have taken action. They would not wait yet what they can do, he was not familiar with. They surely would have consoled the ashen blond in his situation. Words, however, were not his strong suit. Words were simply a means to communicate and convey a given task that needed to be done to Inaho. The application of consoling or reassuring was not his expertise.

 _"Aren't actions louder than words?"_ Inaho mused and stretched, once more getting ready to start the car.

**_Ring._ **

Inaho paused.

_**Ring.** _

Slowly he turned to his bag.

_**Ring.** _

Unnaturally, he found himself fumbling to reach the phone but soon answered.

"He... Hello?" A hesitant, scared voice asked.

"Slaine?" Inaho pondered. The voice did not resemble anything like the prideful count or the helpful bat. "Hello," Inaho greeted.

Silence trickled and seem to ebb from the other end now. Inaho tried to remain calm yet couldn't help wondering if he needed to say more or was too eager to answer. Again he couldn't bring himself to do anything beyond wait.

 _"No,"_ Inaho tried to convince himself, _"I must wait. It's his move. If I want his trust, then--"_

"Help. Help me." The voice stammered and tried desperately to speak. It kept repeating although weaker in each reiteration. Inaho inferred Slaine was deeply distraught. For what reason, Inaho couldn't gather with the current information.

"I'm on my way." Inaho answered and sped a little faster. "Wait for me Slaine."

***

The remaining part of the drive felt like eternity and the storm seemed to have gotten worse. The rain poured more heavily and the thunder was louder and more frequent. Inaho did not relent and with renewed vigor, rushed to the house after stopping the car. Before getting to the house though, he abruptly stopped for something caught his eye.

Slowly, Inaho walked forward to the workshop's double gates, which were surely closed, and kneeled. He removed his jacket and wrapped it around the ashen blond. The ashen blond had sat against the double gates with his knees pressed to his chest and arms wrapped. In one of his hands, the ashen blond had a tightened grip on a matching cellphone. Unlike before, it was no longer white and instead a charcoal black. Inaho inferred Slaine must have dropped it while working but that detail didn't matter.

Two turquoise rose to meet Inaho's gaze and seemed lost. With a quivering voice, Slaine mumbled. "You... you're... you're really... here."

Inaho motioned to speak but was stopped. Slaine weakly reached out to the brunette's cheek with the hand without the phone. The ashen blond's hand was cold as ice and brought a shiver down Inaho's spine. Instantly, Inaho grasped the hand Slaine offered and rested it on his cheek.

"I said I was on my way." Inaho reminded and used the offered hand to get Slaine onto his feet.

Slaine somewhat fumbled but Inaho kept him stabilized. Much to his dismay, Inaho could assess the ashen blond had been outside for quite some time as his clothes were drenched. If there was one good thing about the situation, Slaine was abnormally cooperative as Inaho led him into the house and into the restroom, where he filled the bathtub with hot water. Without any resistance, Inaho stripped Slaine of his drenched clothes and had him sit in the bath tub.

Inaho removed his cardigan that had also become drenched before returning to the bathroom. Once back in the bathroom, Inaho took it upon himself to wash Slaine's hair when seeing the ashen blond remained despondent of their current arrangement. Normally at this point Slaine would have kicked him out or fought back at his attempts to care for him. He was at a loss of words but did not press on the matter. Inaho was still unsure what had caused this change of demeanor and unlike before, he too was alone with helping Slaine.

"You're..." Slaine mumbled as he leaned against the bathroom wall. "You're really... here."

The ashen blond broke into a sob when Inaho returned with a towel. At this point he had managed to clothed the ashen blond and was only left with his damp hair.

"Yes. You were waiting for me after all." Inaho again confirmed and elaborated. He dropped the towel on Slaine's head and began to hand dry his hair. "It would have been wiser to be inside."

"I... called." Slaine said.

Inaho motioned to speak but stopped. He was uncertain if Slaine was really listening to him as the turquoise eyes were not focused.

"I called many times." Slaine continued. "Many... Many times." His voice seem to drift and become weak again.

Inaho removed the towel and went before Slaine, kneeling to look him in the face. The ashen blond had once again covered his face with the palm of his hands. His shoulders shook as he once more whimpered and cried. Inaho looked away and once again found himself at a loss of what to do. He knew for certain Slaine was not referring to calling him on the phone. Inaho made certain to always keep an eye on that phone.

 _"He must be referring to another time.... regarding another person. His father?"_ Inaho tried to make sense.

The sobs quieted and in their place, sniffles. Slaine uncovered his face and slowly sat up from his huddled position. He wiped his tears albeit it was a fruitless, futile effort. The tears kept flowing down his face. Inaho gripped at the towel tightly when realizing Slaine gently smiled surely to himself. A small, quiet chuckle escaped Slaine's lips.

It was a heartbreaking sight. Never before did Inaho feel this wave of helplessness for he knew he had to do something but was uncertain how to do so. And before him, a broken man was slowly trying to piece himself together. Alone. They were together yet worlds apart.

Inaho reached out to Slaine's cheek with one hand. The turquoise orbs turned to him shocked and scared. Inaho was pulling him back to whatever dark place he was in yet Slaine still did not understand what was pulling him.

"I'm here." Inaho thought and desperately tried to convey.

With trembling and hesitant arms, Inaho had stood up and hugged the ashen blond.

"I'm here." Inaho finally voiced out.

A hesitant breath tickled Inaho's neck and Inaho could feel the cloth about his neckline dampen. Skinny arms wrapped around Inaho's waist, shyly and cautiously.

Inaho tightened his grasp and spoke in Slaine's ear. "I'm here Slaine. I'm really here."

Slaine nodded and again he wept but this time not holding back as he tightened his embrace on Inaho.

Inaho did not comprehend what the meaning, the significance behind his words yet they were the key in calming Slaine.

***

-Inaho.3: Present-

Inaho never pieced what had caused Slaine to be distraught but the outcome led to Slaine using the phone more. Initially Slaine would be his mother's liaison to Inaho regarding simple things such as groceries or when he was visiting. Overtime Slaine would call, forgetting the time difference to discuss at great lengths his father's research.

Perhaps now, Inaho would learn the trigger. Inaho tightened his fist as he was embraced by his sister upon returning home. He could predict what exactly led to his sister's situation and although there was much to discuss, Inaho could not bring himself to address it. Rather, Inaho felt and knew that was one concern he had to table. After all, someone was waiting for him.

____________

-Slaine.3-

_“Slaine. Trust me and wait for me.” Inaho had said on the phone._

Slaine sighed while clutching the cellphone tight in his hand. He had returned to the garden house… cautiously to avoid his mother’s suspicion. Slaine had tried to make it appear he was heading into the workshop and chances are stay at Inaho’s flat, a more commonplace to find Slaine recently. Going back to the garden house that late already would only warrant more concern from her especially as he had stayed the night here the previous night. Unlike last night however, he wasn’t planning to but it was becoming more likely the longer he stayed.

Nonetheless he was use to making do with what he had. Wishing and wanting anything more than what he had would be greedy of him. The sight of the fire he made reminded him of that; it was dying down and needing some tending to. A few pieces of discarded leaves and small pieces of wood fit the bill and offered Slaine a momentary solace.

An eerie feeling had filled him since the seeing the situation at the house. However he had consciously dulled himself to that notion. No to be more exact Inaho had made it the case. Inaho was never careless with his words and yet had chosen the words most painful for Slaine. He had to have had a reason though. Inaho’s voice on the phone was not entirely firm yet without fail was determined to convey his message to Slaine. Slaine dared inferred that Inaho sounded even a bit desperate. It was as if timing was a big part of it.

Lazily his eyes began to close. He tried to shake it off to no avail. They were growing heavy and his body no longer was listening to him. The shivers and fear of his fragile situation became known. He could no longer brace for it and thinking of Inaho only seemed to make him even more pathetic. He was no longer a count and although he was told that he was no longer a prisoner, the circumstances were barely any different. He had no power. He had no way to sustain himself and most of all, the only option left for him was to rely, to trust on others -- something he had not done as far as he could recollect. The times resembling such was out of duty and authority… now, now such trust was merely from good faith in another or blindly hoping for something that can never come to be.

Slaine held back a stifled sob working its work up his throat. A distant cry resounded in his ears. He knew it was just an echo from the past. A hallucination. One of many things that haunt him to this day. Out of practice, Slaine chanted to himself and tried to distract himself. He tightened his grip on his arm, which was not on the phone, and rested his head evermore on his knees. He tried to recollect Harklight’s words but it provided little effect to the growing fear. His senses were dulling and the lethargy from resisting the fear of what the situation could unfold, did not help.

“It’s... “ Slaine began before gulping, a last attempt to ward off the coming emotional breakdown. “It’s not like back then.”

The past echoed in his ears. He started to recollect the cold steel of the metallic tiles of the landing castle and the battering and whelps of a cargo bay.

Slaine tried to shake it off but his voice was already weakening. His knuckles were turning white for how tight he braced his arms. The cell phone fell from his grasp as Slaine gripped either side of his head. Over and over again, he whispered to himself, “It’s not like back then. It’s not like back then.”

Every repeat became harder to voice. Every time he tried to speak, he felt like his voice was being drowned out somehow and instead something was becoming louder.

_“Hime… Hime….”_

He bit his lower lip. He knew he was not the same person as back then. He was no longer the boy ignorant of his vulnerability and loneliness in that dark world. But was where he was any different?

 _“Inaho… where are you?”_ He desperately inquired to the fading present. Everything faded to black.

________________

-A to Z-

“Mmm…” Slaine murmured as he started to wake up. “I must have fallen asleep.” He thought and started to open his eyes, blinking a bit more rapidly than necessary to adjust to the light.

The fire had died yet something was there with even more luminosity than the fire ever was.

A lantern.

“Sorry. Did I wake you?” A voice asked close to his ears.

“Ina--” Slaine identified and immediately regained his senses but the brunette wouldn’t let him finish.

The brunette stopped him in his tracks with a kiss. Slaine tried to back away only to find himself almost being pushed onto the ground.

 _“S-so forceful.”_ Slaine commented as he tried to speak. Inaho wouldn’t relent though.

“I’m sorry.” Inaho said in between kisses and continued his assault. He did not let up for Slaine to speak. It was as if he was telling the ashen blond to not speak.

Slaine grit his teeth and forced a hand between their lips. “Inaho!” He exclaimed. Slaine would not fall into Inaho’s pace. “What’s the meaning of this?” He demanded before finally falling onto his back. “It’s dirty here--”

“I'll take responsibility.” Inaho interjected and continued on his assault.

Slaine shuddered as Inaho slipped a hand under his shirt and the brunette kissed the more steep scars on Slaine’s skin. After all this time, the deeper ones remained ravaging Slaine’s skin.

“In… Inaho… please…” Slaine begged as he tried to pull his shirt down. He was flushed and could feel his strength escape his arms and hands.

Thankfully Inaho relented and sat up, now only taking one of Slaine’s hands, which he promptly, lightly kissed. He pulled Slaine to sit up and the two gazed at one another. It was clear Slaine was very troubled with what Inaho has done but his eyes remained determined. The ashen blond obediently waited for Inaho to explain himself. Inaho would not make him wait any longer.

“My sister has arrived.” Inaho began. As expected Slaine looked away.

“I-I see… and… I would presume she knows I…” Slaine gulped and glanced to Inaho, particularly his eye patch.

“Yes but that is beside the point.”

Slaine staggered for a moment. It was another line that Inaho knew would cause Slaine to lose his footing in the conversation.

“H-how?” Slaine tried to argue. “If I was in her position, I would have-”

Inaho sealed Slaine's lips with his and kissed him deeply. Slaine tried to refuse but after an initial struggle, he gave in.

“I know.” Inaho stated after catching a breath and looked to Slaine who was more than flushed. _“I was there when you took your revenge.”_ Inaho wanted to add but remained silent. Slaine glanced at Inaho before looking elsewhere.

The ashen blond soon bitterly chuckled and closed his eyes. “You haven’t told her about this--”

“She knows about you.” Inaho once again interrupted. _“Somewhat.”_ He held back another thought.

Slaine’s eyes abruptly open in surprise and slowly returned his gaze to Inaho. He was at a loss at the situation and soon looked down to his grasping hands.

 _“Nervousness.”_ Inaho inferred and rested his hands on Slaine’s. Slaine bit his lower lip and looked to his right again.

“So… then…” Slaine mumbled. “What should I--”

Inaho rested his head on Slaine’s collarbone and sucked on the ashen blond’s neck. _“Nothing. I want you to do nothing. Don’t you see how important you are to me? How precious you are to me?”_ Inaho struggled to voice such thoughts but he was uncertain how else to express them. The words felt so unfitting and uncharacteristic. In a sense, it was scary to Inaho for he didn’t know the full extent of how bearing such raw emotions would affect their current situation.

He could feel Slaine shudder at the sensation and how the instant Slaine recognized what Inaho was doing, Slaine tried to distance himself from the brunette.

“Inaho!” Slaine cried out as he backed into the back wall of the garden house. In the reflection of the glass, Slaine could see a reddening mark appear on his neck. It was in a location his current attire would not hide. Again he covered his face in his palms and found himself childishly groaning.

The ashen blond mumbled under his breath and rather quickly too. Inaho could only smile as he got on his feet and went to the Slaine, offering his hand. Maybe actions were still louder than words and in turn more effective, he debated as Slaine took his and the two walked back to Inaho’s flat.

_________

-Inaho.4-

Inaho rubbed his back as he finished putting the last of their clothes into the dryer. He had explained to Slaine that his sister Yuki would be residing in the main house and for the time being, it would be better for him to stay the night at his place. Unlike before, the arrangement was more plausible when considering Kirsten’s opinion. After all Slaine’s mother had bought the burgundy couch that currently occupied his living room. Furthermore the couch could transform into a makeshift bed.

At least that’s what Inaho had thought would play out. Instead, Inaho found the ashen blond having fallen asleep at the windowsill… on Inaho’s bed. Inaho looked to the nearby clock. It was a quarter to one and he expected a late breakfast was in order considering his sister. Inaho yawned, turning off the light and brought Slaine under the covers, wrapping his arms around him.

 _“Everything will work out in the morning.”_ Inaho thought before drifting to sleep.

***

Inaho woke up to the sound of a pen tapping ever so quickly, in a faster rhythm than before. As his eyes creaked open he could make sense of a familiar figure standing at the foot of his bed. Looking upward, Inaho could see the pen tapping came from the person’s tapping a pen against their arm and then from his or her face, a discomforting smile. He came to his senses as he sat up and blinked rapidly to become accustom to the light. It was awfully brighter than he was use to for approximately seven in the morning.

“I see you’ve woken up, Japanese boy.” Kirsten said in a rather venomous yet uncomfortably polite tone.

He glanced to the nearby clock and found the time was now a quarter from noon. It was 11:45.

A somewhat quiet moan could be heard from his left and immediately, his attention was drawn to the source as the person grasped at his arm. Slaine was still asleep and had long kicked the covers.

“Nao-kun…” A voice sheepishly said from the distant part of the room and Inaho turned to see his sister peeking into the room. Her expression reminded him of Yuri when it came to Kirsten. He was definitely at the eye of a perfect storm.

The dryer had just beeped to notify him the clothes were done. Slaine and Inaho had taken a shower and in clean nighttime attire. Specifically, Slaine was borrowing Inaho’s clothes and was completely relaxed, sprawled to his left.

“Slaine dear…” Kirsten hummed.

“M… Mom?” Slaine murmured and slowly sat up, rubbing an eye. He too yawned and upon sitting up, the tee shirt Inaho allowed him to borrow somewhat sagged and revealed his chest.

The pen in Kirsten’s grasp immediately broke in half as she asked her son, “Are you alright, dear? Inaho wouldn’t have…”

Slaine blinked and sleepily looked to Inaho, who had turned to face him as well. Slaine was definitely not fully awake yet. “He said he’d take responsibility.”

Inaho slowly turned to Kirsten. This time with glazed eyes.

Everything did not work out in the morning.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N2:** : The memory Slaine is recalling is a reference to the manga providing Slaine's back story.
> 
>  **A/N3:** Q('_'Q) I'm determined to weekly update this. Sorry if the formatting was a little off as I am having mouse difficulties. T-T
> 
> Thank you for reading and hope you enjoyed!


	4. Anemone

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> She needed to be reasonable. She needed to be understanding. For her brother's sake. For her sake. For his sake.

-Yuki.1-

Yuki sat silently across the table from her brother, who appeared to be eating breakfast as if everything was normal. At least she knew that is what her brother was trying to do. She could read her brother best. She could see the tiny tremble as he brings the coffee mug up to sip and the even more brisk glances in her direction and 'his' direction when he thinks either of them were not looking. It was apparent that Inaho had not anticipated this happening so soon, if at all.

 _"Silly Nao-kun,"_ she thought and smiled, resting her chin on her hands. She had propped her arms on the dining table.

Her brother was being adorable and her smile only grew when she met her brother's gaze. There was a slight hint of annoyance in his stare.

"Japanese boy, you finished eating?" Kirsten asked when retrieving her workshop jacket and waiting at the door.

"Yes." Inaho answered after taking one last sip of his coffee.

"Good. Let's finish the navigation system on the prototype--"

Inaho paused and looked to his sister... precariously to which Yuki's eyebrow rose in confusion.

"Yuki-ne may be better suited for the task. She has been working on the latest--"

"We've already modeled this after the Sleipnir unit and of the current mass-produced UFE units, the Sleipnir is the closest to the prototype." Kirsten countered and opened the door. "Hop to it Kaizuka. We've already lost half a day of work."

Yuki relaxed and covered a chuckle. She could see what Inaho was trying to do and for once his plan had failed. In a way, she was surprised someone could render her brother so submissive but considering the events of the morning, he definitely deserved whatever was coming.

"Oh." Kirsten paused and peeked back into the dining room. "Miss Kaizuka." She addressed Yuki.

"Y-yes?" Yuki automatically saluted out of old habit and immediately chided herself. "Any-anything I can help with?" She offered.

Kirsten smiled; Yuki couldn't help feel a chill down her spine. Kirsten responded, "Definitely! Could you help Slaine catch up on his work due to a particular person's involvement?"

"O-of course." Yuki automatically answered. Something about Kirsten's mannerism demanded Yuki to oblige much to Yuki's horror. She was not alone however as someone struggled to immediately place his mug down and prevent himself from choking.

"Thank you Miss Kaizuka!" Kirsten happily said before vanishing, halfheartedly dragging Inaho with her in the form of resting her arm on his shoulder, leading him to the workshop.

The door creaked ever so uncomfortably as it slowly came to a close. Yuki couldn't figure out if the door was simply like that or if the older woman had done so purposely.

_Cough. Cough. Cough._

Yuki turned to the last person aside from herself in the dining area. To her right, a silhouette she never thought would see, stood albeit with subsiding, trembling shoulders. The ashen blond was clearing his throat before reaching to the upper cabinet. The cabinet had been opened and inside Yuki could see rows of miscellaneous medicine and a first aid kit of some sort. As she looked more closely, Yuki could see Slaine's hand reach towards the medicine.

She gulped when seeing Slaine's hand come to a stop near the fever medication and blurted, "No way!"

Slaine's hand had retrieved something behind the fever medication, which turned out to be a box of band-aids. Upon hearing her outburst, he flimsily dropped the box and looked to her in utmost fear.

An awkward moment of silence passed before Yuki covered her mouth instantly and apologized profusely upon realizing what she had just done. Slaine remained still, nervously still and kept his gaze upon her as he slowly retrieved the box of band-aids from the ground. Yuki eventually calmed down as her heart twisted when beginning to think how reminiscent Slaine's behavior was to that of someone about to be reprimanded. She had not meant such ill will.

"Did..." Yuki grasped at straws in trying to make amends of the now awkward atmosphere. She tried to look to Slaine with a smile but felt her smile was superficial and she averted her eyes upon meeting Slaine's eyes. _"He surely can read the hostility in me! Come on Yuki! For Nao-kun!"_ She reprimanded herself and tried to usher herself to behave. "Did you hurt yourself earlier?"

When looking back at Slaine, Yuki noticed the ashen blond too had averted his eyes and instead now abnormally paid his full attention at the band-aid box, where he clumsily retrieved one. He was unquestionably nervous. How was the person before her the same person to declare war on Earth? To speak of conquest and conquering the Earth soon after his father's death?

"Ki... kind of." Slaine said in a very quiet voice. Yuki had to strain her ears to hear and then noticed the ashen blond was abnormally rubbing his shoulder area, particular near his left collar bone.

Slaine then used both of his hands to remove the band-aid wrapper. With his hand no longer covering the infected area, Yuki could see what it was and couldn't help laughing. Her eyes watered. "Really?" She exclaimed in between laughs. Oh her stomach hurt form how hard she was laughing.

In the corner of her eye she could see Slaine had looked up in complete embarrassment, face bright pink and turning ever more red. "I-he-" He stammered upon trying to explain himself. It was surely her brother's doing.

"You... that won't do anything."

"It can hide it!" Slaine blurted and then covered his face with one of his palms while the other still held the band-aid.

"Let me help you.. he did this after all." Yuki said as she got up from her chair and retrieved a bottle of rubbing alcohol and a small container of cotton balls from the cabinet.

As she had both of the items in her hands, she gestured to Slaine sit down, which he did so. Upon wetting the cotton ball with rubbing alcohol and approaching Slaine, Yuki could hear Slaine gulp loudly as the cotton ball contacted the agitated hickey. She rubbed the cotton ball lightly and informed, "This should take care of it in a few days... assuming you do this a few times a day."

"I-I see... thank you." Slaine responded while still averting his eyes elsewhere and gripping his hands together. Yuki noticed Slaine was unnaturally tightening his hold on his hands for how white his knuckles were.

She sighed as she grasped his hands. "Relax. I'm not going to bite your head off." She chastised, jokingly and tried to reassure the ashen blond with a playful smile, facing him.

It was hard for her to maintain her composure upon seeing Slaine's face. Guilt, regret and sadness resided within his turquoise orbs. She could see Slaine look away momentarily, close his eyes hard and swallow hard. She could feel Slaine had done the opposite with his grip on his own hands. His hands trembled.

"Miss... Miss... Kai--"

"Yuki. Just call me Yuki." Yuki corrected. Her intuition was telling her she had to remove the formal nature Slaine was trying to impose.

"Yuki... san..." Slaine went before once more looking to her and becoming distraught, downcast. "I know I can't I apol--"

Yuki rested a finger on his lips and he was at a loss of what to do. She smiled warmly at him. She didn't want to discuss that now. Right now she couldn't understand him and if they were to open that bag of worms, she knew she wouldn't be reasonable. She needed to be reasonable. She needed to be understanding. For Inaho's sake. For her sake. For Slaine's sake.

She could feel her brow contort as her heart grew heavy. The inconsolable fear was creeping in. In the back of her mind, Yuki could recollect the details she consciously try to block: Inaho's eye patch, Inaho's underestimated grasp for the coffee mug and his subtle surprise to Kirsten's assistant placing a plate from Inaho's left.

She knew she should be happy for her brother to be alive, to have fallen in love again, to have moved on from the empress and to have a livelihood away from the battlefront.

_"But why him?"_

_"Why did you do it?"_

_"Why did you shoot him?"_

Of course she wanted to ask and demand answers from the ashen blond, the near murderer of her brother but her voice choked and the betterment of her conscience told her otherwise.

Inaho would have explained the wound away with it being war and the benefits outweighed the consequences, all considering the artificial engine's part in ending the war.

 _"But why him? Of all the people... mere rivalry and intrigue? There's more to love Nao-kun... life and death, war and protection aren't all there is to it."_ Yuki counter herself.

And even so the question still was present. The emotional weight was still there. _"Why did you shoot him?"_

Yuki could never piece it together. She knew she herself could never reach an answer for it was a question only the person before her could.

But she could not bring herself to vocalize it. It would not be fair if she did and above all, she could not grasp how the person before her was behind all that he was claimed to have taken part.

There was no dictator before her. There was no leader of the Orbital Knights. There was no mastermind behind the empress's assassination.

Before her was simply a man, if not merely a boy fully aware he had done wrong and was genuinely sorry for it. He was fully conscious of how little even that sentiment alone was for what blood had been spilled, for what harm had been done by his hand.

Neither had spoken since Yuki interrupted him but Yuki could feel herself being investigated as the turquoise eyes roam the contours of her face. They seemed to be looking for something -- no, were confirming what Slaine believed what she was implying. When removing her finger, Slaine had ceased talking; Slaine had obliged her desire to discontinue that possible topic. She was thankful for once for Slaine's manipulative nature. Unlike her brother, she did not need to be explicitly clear although at the same time that rendered Slaine even more of a mystery to her.

"So what work is it that Nao-kun deter you from this morning?" Yuki asked while turning to return the medical supplies. She prayed; she begged in her mind, _"Please let me get to know you, to try to understand you. Help me understand why he chose you."_

For a moment Slaine remained quiet, abnormally so and seemed to stare at Yuki blankly, confused or at a loss perhaps. "Ah..." he went upon regaining his composure and bearings. He once again looked to his lower right.

 _"Must be a nervous habit of his."_ Yuki inferred while waiting for Slaine's response. Slaine had rubbed the hickey again before biting his lower lip when realizing what he had done. He stood up and headed to the door. With the windbreaker in his hands, he had turned to her and lowered his head. "It's- it's all right. It's--"

Yuki puffed her cheeks and narrowed her eyes. She propped her arms on her waist. "Two people are better than one, no matter what! Now where to Slaine-kun?" She declared.

Slaine had taken a step back in surprise before regaining his composure again and putting on his windbreaker on. He mumbled, "The garden house."

****

-Inaho.4-

From inside the workshop, Kirsten saw the two start making their way into the woods. To Kirsten's left, Inaho was crouched down working on his laptop.

"Left monitors are ready to test." He informed.

"You can't keep them separated, Kaizuka." She commented.

Inaho turned to her. "I know. The same can be said to you. My sister could harm him."

"It is a consequence he is aware of-"

"One he would willingly take."

"Yes and if she was to do so, she too will have a consequence... just as I did all this time with you here."

Inaho could not refute. Kirsten was aware now of why Slaine bore the scars and Inaho's part regarding them. _"If Inaho had not shot him down..."_ was surely a thought that dangerously frequent everyone's thoughts on the matter. Slaine could have died just as Inaho could have died from the gunshot wound Slaine inflicted upon him.

****

-Keep on Trying-

"Argh!" A woman with red hair groaned as she was pushed to the ground, arm behind her back by Harklight.

"Desist!" Harklight demanded.

"Never!" The woman screamed before her head forced into the dirt to which she spit some of it out. She grumbled, "do you even know who you are dealing with--"

"Miss Reverie Marylcian, sister to the late Count Maryclian." Eddelrittuo stated as she revealed herself from the bushes, a machine gun hung over her shoulder and holding a deactivated bomb. "Under orders of Countess Envers, we are to capture and take you in for question..ing..?"

Reverie had started laughing uncomfortably. "You fools. You filthy Versians socializing with the Terran scum!" You exclaimed.

A mumbled voice as if speaking through a radio could be heard. "In position. Moving onto next phase."

Alarmed, Harklight inspected Reverie more closely and noticed the comm link gear to which he turned to Eddelrittuo.

"You think there was only one of us and one of those?" Reverie questioned with a smug face as both servants looked to each other in horror and paled complexion.

"Jud-judging from the schematics, the bomb should only explode for several feet--" Eddelrittuo began before it dawned to her.

Harklight smacked Reverie hard and secured a fastening around her hands and a nearby tree. He hurriedly hobbled to stand and make his way to the garden house.

"No Harklight! Stay! I'll handle it--"

Neither Harklight nor Eddelrittuo could hear as the birds cried, the earth shook and the clash of shattering glass filled the air. In the distance a pillar of fire and smoke could be seen.

****

-Yuki.2-

Yuki coughed continuously as the smoke was heavy and she could not breathe; something was pressing her hard to the ground.

"Slay... Slaine?" Yuki tried to speak with a hoarse voice. She heaved upon seeing a limb lay weak over her shoulder.

Her eyes widened when identifying the limb. Abnormally pale skin like porcelain, covered dirt and carried a faint scent of tomatoes. It was Slaine's.

Yuki brusquely turned around and stood on all fours; she crawled over to Slaine's side as she had incidentally made him roll off her. She grimaced upon seeing the ashen blond covered in not only dirt and smoke but several traces of blood.

"Slaine!" She hollered while trying to shake him on the shoulder. Yuki could feel her eyes water from the smoke and the disheartening sight before her. Slaine looked even more pale than before. Thin lines of red were originating from his back side. The cause was clear -- he had covered her.

"You... Yuki-san?" He weakly answered with his eyes slowly fluttered open. He sat up alarming fast before wincing in pain. Slaine covered his left side, where Yuki could see his shirt becoming more red.

"Easy! You're injured--"

"Are you... all right?" Slaine asked, completely disregarding what she was trying to tell him. He struggled onto his feet while offering his free hand to her. "Can you move? We need to get out of here!"

Yuki opened her mouth to speak but she was shocked at the strength Slaine had mustered when pulling her to stand and then leading her out of the burning garden house. If it weren't for the blood and wound, Yuki would have assumed Slaine was unharmed but instead, he was before her doing everything he can to see to it she was safe. He had covered her, he splashed the remaining water they had retrieved onto her, and he braved the fires as her shield to the exit.

****

-Inaho.5-

Inaho huffed as he had rushed towards the garden house upon hearing the explosion. He stopped once reaching a clearing where he saw Slaine help Yuki to sit on a tree stump, albeit in a daze. Inaho yelled as he got closer. After multiple attempts of hollering her name, her eyes had focused.

"Nao... kun..?" Yuki looked around and realized they were no longer surrounded by fire. Instead the fire was now behind her a good ways and she had been seated on this trunk while Slaine caught his breath to her left.

Immediately she stood up and went to Slaine. She instantly took a hold of the ashen blond's shoulders and tried to force him to sit down where she was.

"You idiot!"

"Wha-what?!" Slaine looked at her confused and then frustrated, astounded by her insult.

"I concur." Inaho supported and went to walk over but paused. Something unnatural shone in the distance. It moved slightly... as if it was taking aim...

He was familiar with this sensation. He knew this feeling. His hands tightened into fists and without hesitation, he charged towards Yuki and Slaine. He reached forward. He outstretched and felt nothing. He cursed his loss of depth perception but there was no time. He had to make do. Inaho knew he was overcompensating; Yuki and Slaine had turned to him puzzled. He surely must have looked like he was about to fall; it didn't matter. There was no time.

 _"I swore. I won't fail this time. Not again."_ Inaho thought and felt the goosebumps crawl up his arms. He could feel his body wish to flee; he fought through it, trying in all his might to ignore it.

"Inaho--" Slaine began but that was all Inaho could hear.

The sound of a gun firing rang and the scarily nostalgic pain resounded in his head. The pain fled as the sensation of Slaine's trembling chest and damp shirt was in his grasp.

He had succeeded.

"Ina..."

"Inaho!" The ashen blond's resounded. The world had gone black and everything began to sound distant like if he was falling into a bottomless abyss.

Inaho no longer stood and could feel the cold earth beneath him. The warmth and trembling presence faded. Fear began to engulf him; weakly Inaho reached forward.

"Sla..." He voiced and tried to open his eye. His body would not comply. His sensations were muddling. He could not decipher what he was doing anymore.

Turquoise.

Turquoise eyes peered down on him and... rain? Tears... tears fell upon his face. Inaho mustered all he could to speak and move but no sound escaped his lips -- as far as he could gather.

It didn't matter though. In his weakening hand, Inaho could see Slaine desperately cling to him.

He had succeeded.

Slaine wept and looked away distraught, bringing their clasped hands to his cheek.

No he did not.

Inaho could feel his hand fall limb and his breath become more laborious without much rejuvenation.

He cursed himself for it dawned to him about his apparent failure.

... Then again perhaps he was just followng Slaine's example. Even at the expense of his own self-preservation, he did everything he could to protect his most precious person. What a twist of fate.

Inaho tried to look at Slaine one last time. He weakly tried to caress the ashen blond's face.

_"I'm sorry Slaine."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** Anemone convey the message of "looking forward to the future and not forsaking the ones you love. Something new is always around the corner, no matter how dark things might look now."
> 
>  **A/N2:** I apologize for the delay on posting this... it was a difficult one to write, especially with the cliffhanger. Chapter 5 will be posted later today as originally scheduled (weekly). /grovel T-T
> 
> Thank you for reading! The comments and kudos have kept me motivated! I hope you've enjoyed <3


	5. Myosotis; Forget-Me-Not

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> **Am I allowed to?**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Forget-Me-Not a.k.a. Myosotis convey the message of "take the time to remember those you love, even if they're still with you right now. Make memories that last and extend your caring to those that need it the most. Respect the dead and make sure their stories are still being told to future generations.

-Inaho.?-

Inaho felt nauseous. Everything felt sluggish. He struggled to open his eye and look around. He could vaguely hear "his" voice.

"Forgive me." Slaine begged and sobbed.

Inaho didn't understand but desperately turned towards the voice. He found himself looking downward through a pool of water and a thick glass. He tried to reach for it, towards Slaine's slumped figure. The ashen blond had pressed his forehead to the glass and rested his palms on the glass.

"I... know... know... believe you'd do what you needed to do to survive...." Slaine mumbled.

Inaho's eye started to feel heavy and it became apparent Inaho was breathing into a mask of some sort. Slaine looked upward as Inaho's eye gave way. Inaho cursed his lethargy but no matter his struggle his body wouldn't comply.

"I knew no other way but this." Slaine confessed. Inaho could feel the Slaine's presence distance from him and the sound of the familiar footsteps walking away.

☆☆☆☆

"I had prepared for the worse." A mumbled voice confessed.

Inaho could weakly feel the cold air against his damp skin. Through the crack of his eye, he could see he was lying down on a gurney and Dr. Yagarai was adjusting an IV next to him before retrieving a clipboard again. Oddly enough he was looking to his right towards a transparent screen…

 _“A holographic screen?”_ Inaho pondered.

"For someone with rudimentary fundamentals of neurosurgery and only this much access to Kaizuka's medical records-" The doctor began to praise until the ashen blond interjected.

"Martian technology covered most of the technicalities-"

"For the surgery, Milord! You had to program it from scratch-" Harklight interrupted.

"Regardless... I did this without his permission... I caused this in the first place... and again."

 _“Slaine-”_ Inaho wanted to voice and tried to reach for him. Slaine appeared much thinner, ghastly than the last he saw him.

"You did well Slaine. He will be fine I can assure you. From the analysis here he will not experience any complications."

"Even if now there is-"

A pair of high heels had walked in and Inaho could gather it was his sister. Immediately Slaine had ceased talking and seemed to leave the vicinity. Doctor Yagari had taken over and informed Yuki his status. However it was clear the doctor and Slaine were hiding something.

☆☆☆☆

"Is... is there anything I do for you?" Slaine asked earnestly.

Slaine held his hand tightly. His knuckles were white for how tightly he held it yet his grip was unstable. He was trembling much like his voice was. He was holding back a sob. His eyes were watery and glossy. The more Inaho stared, the more time he remained silent he felt the ashen blond behind him was disappearing. Inaho wanted to return the grip. He wanted to make it firm. He wanted to console the ashen blond. he knew not why he was so distraught yet it did not matter why.

"In... Inaho?" Slaine struggled to voice.

 _"His eyes... they're so red. He had bag under his eyes. Has he not slept? It has only been-"_ Inaho observed.

A throb stopped him in his tracks as he winced. He felt he grasped his left eye. In the corner of his eye, he could see Slaine had immediately stood up and was about to go somewhere. The blond said something to him but the words blurred. Inaho grit his teeth as he used every ounce of willpower in him to tighten his hold on Slaine's hand. The turquoise eyes had refocused on him.

"Talk to me... honestly." Inaho said, clutching his left side of his face even more. _“Don't lie anymore. Don't hide your pain from me."_

The familiar darkness ate away from what he could see. He was losing the sensation of Slaine's hand and the ability to hear Slaine although he could see his lips move. He lips were quivering. He had bit his bottom lip to the point of bleeding. Inaho felt his heart pang and sink as he knew Slaine was panicking and concerned for his well being. He wanted to reassure him but a realization dawned to Inaho.

He knew this throbbing he had felt it before. Yet he also knew... he shouldn't be feeling this pain anymore since he had it removed.

☆☆☆☆

The next time Inaho awake he could hear birds chirping and feel the warmth from the sunlight spilling into the room and on top of his revealed hand. He then heard something being placed on the nightstand to his left.

He was in an unfamiliar room yet clearly not of Kirsten's residence. It was sparse and smelled abnormally unearthly but it was not as septic like a hospital. The best he could describe it yet not in a delightful manner was that it felt like a place not of this world.

Slaine was abnormally wearing his heavy windbreaker indoors and had placed a vase surely of flowers. A flowery aroma started to make its way to Inaho.

Unnaturally Inaho felt his mouth move without his permission and say something. He didn't register what but he could see whatever it was, Slaine was not surprised. Slaine sat on a wooden chair which he seemed familiar where it was. It was as if he had gone through the motion countless times.

 _“How long has it been? The other day the fire-”_ Inaho wanted to inquire but he could not speak.

Inaho stopped his train of thought as Slaine looked to the window. The new angle allowed Inaho to see a disturbing attire underneath Slaine's jacket.

"You... had told me to speak honestly to you." Slaine began.

The brunette could feel the all too familiar and recently rather frequent heart sink. He grasped at the blanket.

"I'm scared." Slaine confessed. "Not for the duel tomorrow..."

_“Duel?”_

Slaine returned his gaze to him and leaned towards him. Inaho could feel the slightly trembling hand caress his left side of his face. Slaine's hands were gloved... in Versian military gloves.

"I'm uncertain what is more scary. The thought of not seeing you again or... the thought of surviving and seeing you like this."

_“Like this?”_

Slaine looked away and downcast. "I am aware this is retribution… and although it was brief, thank you … thank you for this happiness. "

_“No it is not. I chose to defend you. I'm sorry it ended this way.”_

"Either way..." Slaine trailed off and he removed his hand. Inaho could hear another pair of footsteps from outside closing in. Slaine too was aware as he stood up and went to leave. He paused to look at the night stand again and removed something from his pocket.

"I'd like to imagine. To dare dream. To look..." Slaine gulped and looked at him with watery eyes. "To look forward to honestly talk with you... not... not your eye... so please take care."

The door creaked as the ashen blond left. Inaho tried to sit up and reach for what was fleeting. All to naught.

As he felt his consciousness fade, he hoped unrealistically that it was all a dream. The Versian uniform never suited Slaine after all.

☆☆☆☆

The chair screeched as Yuki pushed it back to the wall and reclaimed an untouched tray of food. Yuki carried the expression Inaho was accustom to from the war but he could not bring himself to console her. She knew he couldn’t and thus took her leave.

Doctor Yagari had left after promptly informing the Kaizuka siblings Inaho’s health was satisfactory enough to resume his daily routine. The doctor’s expression remained neutral when turning from Inaho to his sister. Inaho had wanted to inquire from the doctor what had transpired between Slaine and himself yet it was clear the doctor had no inclination to do so at the time being. Instead, the doctor seemed to rely, if not leave it in his sister’s hand to catch up to the present. There had been no indications in the room he had stayed in of the present date.

He lied to himself. His ‘new’ left eye had long brought to his attention of a particular device on the night stand. Inaho forced himself to look away and to his sister, whose expression was now more grim. She had noticed what he had caught sight of.

_“Nao-kun… let me start from the fire.” Yuki began to explain when first arriving to the room._

_As Yuki explained to Inaho, he tightened his grip on the blanket underneath his hand and averting his eyes elsewhere, to a random blank spot somewhere on the blanket._

_“A year ago…” Inaho repeated in his mind._

_“In the aftermath of the fire, you were shot in the head again… when protecting him… thankfully one of the remnants of the artificial eye transplant cushioned the bullet…”_

_“The remaining parts of the transplant had been too embedded and entwined for removal… for such to be damaged--” Inaho inferred before he noticed his sister look down, tears began to fall from her cheeks._

_“Doctor Yagari was not here at the time and due to the circumstances, we couldn’t bring you to the hospital… so…” Yuki continued before weeping and looking to Inaho._

_“Slaine.” Inaho guessed to which Yuki nodded._

_“He… and your support… Harklight… they performed an emergency surgical procedure… that Troyard only postulated from his research and a previous incident.”_

_As his sister mentioned the last detail, for a moment his artificial eye brought to mind a distant silhouette with ashen blond hair looking upward and forlorn. His eyes were once again dull and lifeless yet not of the present. Inaho took a deep breath as he tried to resist looking more into that information. The ghastly figure’s lips had moved in the memory and Inaho dared not inquire as to what he had said._

_Inaho asked in a rather monotonous voice, much to his surprise, “Where is he now?”_

_Yuki pursed her lips and out of old practice from the war, she displayed a neutral expression. She knew what she was going to say was not good news but she knew she had to say them._

_“He decided to abide by Versian law and accepted a Knight's duel against the mastermind for the fire and the following assassination attempts on his life.” Yuki answered._

_Neither said another word._

The duel had began yesterday and what he had hoped was a dream, had occurred the day before.

Inaho had retrieved the items from the nightstand -- an all too familiar amulet and strapless cellphone. Slaine had not only left the items but flowers. They were not the customary flowers to bring however Inaho knew there was an underlying message behind it. Slaine of course thought he knew what this meant.

The brunette remained expressionless as the reinstalled artificial engine hummed with countless, rather currently useless information.

The eye was useless for this situation. No logic could fill this growing void or whisk away the gloom ebbing from him. Slaine was somewhere fighting for his life... no, fighting to atone for his sins even if it meant dying in the process. Physically at least. Realistically, the ashen blond was emotionally here in this room, afraid and regretful of what had incurred to Inaho and the worst being Inaho had no way to address them and possibly never will.

Inaho grimaced and clutched his left eye as he stared at the strapless phone. Never before did he feel so filled with regret, helplessness, despair and self-hate. Was this what Slaine had felt before? During the war he could justify this disability but now... now he wasn't so sure he could. Because of this eye the ashen blond forever is reminded of his sin. The eye patch could no longer deter it for beneath Slaine has seen the entirety of what he had done to him. He knew in possibly more intricate detail than himself as to what the injury costed him. No words, no actions could hide that bitter truth.

And because of this eye, Inaho couldn't even spend perhaps the potential time he could have had with Slaine this past year.

_"He could have died."_

_"He would have died if I hadn't..."_ Inaho slowly tried to reason. But was this growing likely reality worth what he had done? Was it worth knowing those final days, those final months 'he' had with Slaine was nothing but tormenting to the ashen blond? Was it worth carrying the data from his eye of what had transpired between them during those times, knowing full well 'he' himself wasn't active?

Inaho grit his teeth and could see he subconsciously tightened his grip on the cellphone.

_"Have you... looked at his phone?" Yuki had bizarrely asked him when she had noticed his constant glances to the discarded phone._

_He had blankly stared at her to which resulted in sadly smiling back to him._

_"You should... for his sake. For both of you." She encouraged._

The engine hummed at the possible reasons why and the possibility of the phone not being dead outright given Slaine's track record. Inaho ignored it much to his growing annoyance. Weakly, he fumbled the flip phone open and the first thing he saw was Slaine's wallpaper. There was no password to access the phone.

There was no need for such. The wallpaper alone made Inaho feel guilty for being intrusive. It was essentially the family photo they had taken shortly before Inaho returned to Japan for a time.

 _"He left this here..."_ Inaho tried to convince himself, trying to ward off the habit he had made to do everything he could to give Slaine privacy.

As he pushed the arrow keys and number pad, Inaho went through the contacts. There was only one number -- his. Inaho felt the corner of his mouth rise and his eyebrows lax. Slaine had told him he had no need to document everyone's number. He had mumbled about what if someone had stolen the phone and his mother or Yuri's number was just enough to ruin their lives. Slaine had no understanding of how limited Terran technology was still. Nonetheless it was a worthy safety measure when considering his relation to Vers.

Inaho returned to the main menu and scrolled to the camera. Another expected find was had -- nothing but various plants and give or take a good number of failures entailing blurry visions and Slaine's thumb covering whatever he was trying to take a picture. Inaho choked a laugh. No wonder Slaine always asked for Inaho to take and send the pictures.

 _"Maybe I should prank him and put his blurry thumb as his new wallpaper--"_ Inaho had immediately thought as a means to sabotage the blond but stopped himself. Was this phone ever going to leave his possession again? Would such a joke ever be conveyed to the that person?

Just like his heart sank, Inaho left the camera roll and returned to the main menu. There was nothing more to be seen here he figured while lazily scrolling to the end of the menu.

**"Drafts [5]"**

For a moment Inaho couldn't help but feel his eyes glazed, even the artificial engine was at a loss of what to say.

 _'To think the former dictator had issues sending messages..."_ Inaho commented and proceeded.

The first was blank as expected. As he routinely did with his, he went to delete it but stopped. The date of the blank message was significant. It was the day Inaho had given Slaine the phone.

 _"If you ever need me, you can contact me here."_ Inaho remembered what he had said to the blond multiple times. Never did Slaine send a message or call him until a year ago- no two years now. He had been essentially comatose for the past year.

The brunette frowned as he went to the next text message. It was dated a year ago.

 **"You told me before if I ever needed you, I can contact you here but is there any point in sending this now? You're right in front of me after all.**  
**Yet you feel so far away.**  
**Why Inaho... Why."**

Inaho cringed. _"You are my other half. You are important to me."_ He wanted to say but like the ashen blond had pointed out. Was there any point to say such words when the person that needed to receive them was no longer here?

He moved onto the next one without a second thought but with a heavier heart. The next was two months later.

 **"I held my breath when the same desperation befell me like back then. Back with Hime... This time however it seems more hopeful. The doctor said you shouldn't suffer any repercussions.**  
**I'm glad you're no longer in the capsule. Just please wake up.**  
**Didn't you tell me to trust you and wait for you? How much longer?"**

The next was six months ago.

 **"I now understand even more so than before why you no longer hold her dear to your heart. You've finally woken up after half a year of slumber... your artificial engine that is. I...**  
**It told me many things...-"**

Inaho paused as he felt a tear roll down his right eye. He could imagine Slaine's muffled chuckle and his face turning obscenely pink.

 **"It astounds me how it said all such things while retaining your ridiculous expressionless face. Even Yuki-san and Mom's pummeling upon you yielded no results. (Yuri did try to hold them back for your sake.)**  
**I'm sorry. I wish I could accept your words but I can't. They're not yours. You aren't delivering them. You...**  
**You're not here."**

 _"Those words again..."_ Inaho spoke aloud and wiped yet another tear. He wish he knew their significance. Why was it so key to Slaine for him to be 'here?' Why was it so meaningful for Slaine to verbalize the obvious?

Again those words were meaningless. Slaine wasn't here.

After he closed his eyes to deter his blurring vision, he resumed with a deep breath and opened the last draft Slaine had left behind. It was dated two days ago.

 **"Perhaps these last words will reach you. I am not to bring any sort of external communication to the duel... so I leave it in your care. I apologize for not returning everything...**  
**No. Yuki-san told me...**  
**I'm sorry. Time is of the essence. Will this phone still work when you finally wake up? (Yes I lost the charger again... have you it was in the fire... so...)**

 **In Vers, we send each other off with 'good hunting.' There is no underlying desire to come back. To die on the battlefield is the same as being victorious. To die with honor. To live with honor in hopes of gaining more prestige.**  
**Harklight and Princess Lemrina had suggested otherwise but then and now are two separate instances.**  
**Yuki-san demanded I return for you were waiting for me. Your eye even concurred.--"**

Inaho's eyes widened. A particular piece of information was retrieved from the eye. As Slaine finished placing the flowers on the night stand.

_"I'll-he'll be waiting."_

**" 'He'll be waiting.' It had said. Can I come back?**  
**I imagine you'd say yes as I am fully capable of outwitting my opponent or because only you could defeat me.**  
**Am I allowed to is perhaps the more accurate question... A knight's duel is to the death Inaho... I... I can't kill anymore. I hate killing. Ironic is it not?**

**I'm sorry."**

Inaho reached the bottom of the message. There was no more to scroll down and with this message, there was nothing left unseen in the phone. He couldn't see it anymore as he could not wipe the tears away. They kept falling down his cheeks but not fast enough to prevent his eyesight from blurring.

Weakly he held the phone as he looked to his other hand. There was nothing in its grasp. What he wished for was no longer in his reach.

He tried to grasp it. He closed his eyes and recalled a long forgotten shooting star. As it had fallen, he could remember the trembles and the shakes of descending back onto Earth. In that memory, he had done everything he could to not lose his hold this time.

He had succeeded then and as he opened his eyes now, there was only emptiness in his hold. All that remained was an amulet discarded, forgotten on his lap.

"Of course you are Slaine." Inaho voiced as he cradled the amulet. "Of course you are." He repeated with a saddened expression. If only those words would reach their destination.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N2:** The flowers Slaine leaves behind are Forget-Me-Not.
> 
>  **A/N3:** 'Chapter Six: The Blue Rose' may be posted earlier as upcoming Monday is independence day :X I apologize for the haphazard updates. If it's any consolation, the cliffhangers are less painful?
> 
>  **A/N4:** Also I would like to apologize for this chapter potentially being confusing as the narrator for this chapter wasn't a reliable one. It will be be all explained in due time  <3 please believe me and wait for me. 
> 
> Again thanks for the comments and kudos /bow


	6. The Blue Rose

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> _His prayers were ‘answered.’ But his words would never reach their destination._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** The Blue Rose carries the flower meaning of "longing to attain the impossible" or as Slaine had once said they carry the meaning of "miracle" or "impossible."

-Slaine.5: 1 year ago-

His hand had grown weak. His breath had become shallow.

 _"No. No. No."_ Slaine's thoughts went, faster and faster, praying for each moment to slow.

He grimaced as he was familiar with this scene. Disturbingly so. But no matter how many times he had seen this scene plague his dreams, the pain he felt now was more horrendous. He wanted to scream yet it died in his throat. He wanted to weep yet his eyes had dulled. He knew what was coming.

The red eye fluttered close. One small smile remained on his face. The brunette's fingers had desperately reached for him. Slaine's wet cheek was smudged with dirt and blood from his own wound as he had gripped Inaho's.

 _"Why... why..."_ Slaine slowly asked himself as he rested Inaho's hand on his chest but did not and could not let it go. _"Why did you shield me?"_ He wanted to ask.

Slaine could barely make sense of his surroundings as he was at a loss. He could register Yuki's scream and her trembling hands. Yuri had come to their aid and was trying to calm her down. In the distance, Kirsten was helping a limping Harklight and was accompanied by Eddelrittuo.

"Milord..." Harklight began once they went before him.

Slaine slowly rose his head. He could not decipher what his own expression was but whatever it was, Harklight had become even more explicitly distraught. Harklight's words seemed so distant as he began to apologize. Slaine could not bring himself to entirely listen to his servant. "Assassin." "Maryclian." "Rebels." "A week" and "Lemrina" were the only things that reached him.

What may seem like a moment to Slaine was far longer as by the time he spoke, the group were trying to determine the best course of action regarding Inaho. They could not take him to the hospital given the political nature, let alone he would not make it given their location.

"Do we have the capability?" Slaine asked. His voice was cold.

His heart ached and his mind was splitting. Did he forget what his part was in all this? Does he have the right to do what he was proposing?

"Cap- capability for what? Killing won't resolve anything-" Yuki lashed out.

 _"So that is what she really thinks of me."_ Slaine found himself thinking. His blood ran cold. The old gears of back then had began to turn. He was a fool but even so... he would be a bigger one for not trying. Inaho would not want him to take this situation while lying down. Let alone, this was a mistake he could still amend.

Slaine had kept his eyes fixated on Harklight who had fallen silent. Eddelrittuo looked between the two. She was the most blatant to read when Kirsten and Yuri became even more concerned. It was clear what Slaine had in mind was grave.

"Yes." Harklight had answered... just as Slaine suspected. His former servant would always prepare for the worst and with everything they had gone through during the war.

Slaine carried Inaho, resting Inaho's head on his left shoulder. His own wound stung but it was nothing. It was nothing to the advent of what should happened so long ago, happened once again.

Yuri rushed to retrieve the pickup truck as Slaine curtly and concisely ordered what was to be done. Yuki had long fallen silent and was perturbed at Slaine's immediate change in demeanor. Slaine did not care anymore. Just like then, he no longer cared what 'she' had thought. This life of his was borrowed and had so clearly been handed off. Again the person that kept him paid the price.

Upon entering Harklight's residence and as if he been there before (when he clearly had not, he knew Harklight's habits), Slaine pulled back the tarp and entered a hidden room behind a metallic door. The ground clack much like the landing castles and almost if he had walked back in time, he stood before a vacant capsule.

 _"I told you Orange."_ He thought to himself as he positioned Inaho inside and properly geared him. Harklight and Eddelrittuo started to power the consoles on opposite side. _"There was no need to continue this facade."_

With the tank filling and Inaho started to float, Slaine stood up with a slight wobble from the growing anemia he was feeling. _"But don't worry. When you wake up, I'll have set everything right."_

...

Eddelrittuo persisted for Slaine to stop after a few minutes when he partook on the console. The wound had long sealed itself but its appearance looked worse than it seemed. The affected area of the shirt had long turned a dark red and a thick trail of blood had long dried after making its way down to his knee. Slaine could only feel it being abnormally cold and bare to the open air yet it did not matter. There was something more critical, someone more important to tend to in his eyes; Harklight knew there was no point trying to remove him from the console. Thus, Harklight had began running the program that had once been used to monitor and act as Asseylum's life support but pointed out that modifications were needed.

Slaine was aware and had began making the adjustments as well as asking Harklight to retrieve particular reports he had sent regarding his father's research. Simultaneously he had Harklight bring the respective entries of his father's research.

At first Harklight was perplexed when Slaine was asking for the Aldnoah Research in Chinese and Arabic but as Slaine utilized the translation protocol from Vers, it became clear. The discrepancy in the language translations was the real research from Dr. Troyard. If the research could not be obtained from Vers, even Vers would not have considered this. Even if they considered translating the text from any given nation, that would not suffice. Cultural understanding was also key. In this case, Slaine was interested in the medical applications of Aldnoah; Dr. Troyard had filed it away in the two languages, the two cultures that had set the groundwork for medicine since ancient times.

 _"One at a time,"_  Slaine reminded himself as he open another script upon many, wrote another line to what seemed not enough but soon enough the console hummed and his work was done. He had done everything he could. His trembling hands knew.

The dangerous thoughts, the pointless questions began to creep upon him. The adrenaline rush was no more. There was nothing to keep the inner beasts away. Worse, the familiar weight in his back pocket had become warm; its battery was at the end of its rope.

Slaine now could see the result of his handiwork. He turned away from the console and slowly approached the bitter nostalgic cold glass. Harklight looked away from the console and held his breath, his face now troubled for he too was familiar with this.

With trembling hands, he reached for the glass, trailing downward and soon resting his forehead too. That feeling had resurfaced. He could not smother it. It would only be a matter of time before he too will crumble.

That feeling of wanting help. Help from the divine. Help from those around him. Yet there was no succor, no solace to be had for…

 _“You told me before if I ever need you, I can contact you here..."_ Slaine thought dangerously. He knew better yet the thoughts had long manifested. They would not be quelled. _“... but is there any point now?”_

The tears rolled down his cheeks and his knees gave way.

_“You’re right in front of me.”_

His shoulders shook as he grasped either side of his head. He could no longer hold to his despair.

_“Yet so far away.”_

Constantly his mind asked why to the person before him, to the person who would could not speak. He yelled. He screamed. He cried.

Were there no miracles in this world?

_____________________

-Slaine.6: 10 months ago-

 

Slaine breathed in heavily as he calmed his breathing. Slowing down and tightening his hold on his blanket before finally walking out of bed.

Silently, slowly and sneakily made his way out of his room and into the adjacent restroom. Much to his dismay he had closed the restroom door and rendered it pitch black. There was no moon tonight and it was still the dead of night, still too early for even his mother and Yuri to rise.

He flickered the light switch and met a matching pair of greenish-blue orbs. The figure in the mirror was nothing like it was a few weeks before and instead resembled more of the person that had walked onto this residence three years prior. No... maybe since the person had then returned to his home planet as a prisoner.

Slaine turned on the faucet and washed his face as well as drinking some of the water. It was a bad habit that had risen his return to Earth. Minerals made the water ever different than the filtered or generated water from Mars. Upon returning to Earth, any water seemed filled with vitality.

Turning off the faucet though brought back the void of space, the remembrance of limited resources in space. He knew such thoughts were exaggerations for what little actions he was doing. Leaning on his arms against the sink, he sighed and stared off center of the mirror. The face of the man in the mirror was no one new to Slaine. It was his reflection obviously yet now his bare chest in the light revealed once again the past events. New scars adorn his flesh. They were thinner and surely would be unnoticeable in a few months unlike the other scars but that was only the flesh.

Slaine closed his eyes after averting his gaze and made his way back to his room even if his feet wanted to take him elsewhere. As he closed the door his breath hitched and he had slid to the ground, hands to his head, knees to his chest and eyes tight shut.

The sound of glass shattering still echoed in his ears. It had been almost a month since the garden house was destroyed but the trauma still remained. He had been through worse and he chided himself, reminded himself of the horrors he had experienced in space. Yet there was a difference this time. No there was a dangerous similarity this time. Similar to the time the empress had been shot. Someone important to him had fallen before his very eyes, within his very fingertips.

Slaine rocked himself as he felt his shoulders tremble and tears ran down his cheeks. He could no longer hold back his fear like he had done as a count. There was nothing he could do anymore. He had done everything he could at this point. He may have even repeated the mistakes he had made in the past.Eventually his eyes shed no more tears. There was nothing left in him to provide for tears. He had worn himself once again but he welcomed this feeling when he crawled back to bed. A restless sleep is what he wanted. He did not want to see that dream again. He did not want to relive that still vivid memory.

  
He would be reminded in the morning anyway.

…

To his surprise, Slaine returned to room Inaho was kept and met Yuki, who for the first time in two months happily greeted him. Her eyes were red and cheeks puffy as if she had recently cried.

 _Could he have..?”_ Slaine brusquely thought but swallowed. He convinced himself otherwise; it’s better to brace for the worse.

Yuki had taken him by the hand, another act he dared not think would happen after all that has happened, and led him further into the room where a man in a white jacket suited for doctors was overseeing Harklight removing Inaho from the capsule.

The man turned and smiled, only adjusting his glasses momentarily before addressing him. “Morning. You must be Slaine-kun. It is a pleasure to meet you.”

Slaine tried to greet yet his voice had died in his throat; he could only nod his head. A doctor had come to see Inaho. An actual medical doctor. Thank goodness…

The doctor looked back to Inaho, who Harklight had not hoisted onto a gurney. “I had prepared for the worse.” The doctor confessed and brought up a holographic screen. “But judging from his vitals and your handiwork, it will only be a matter of him regaining consciousness.”

It was too good to hear. Yuki hugged Slaine and was gleefully trying to reassure Slaine but the gesture was lost to him. Before long Yuki freed him from her hug and left the room; Slaine only heard her mentioning something about getting something to eat.

This was still too good to be true for Slaine to believe.

“For someone with rudimentary fundamentals of neurosurgery and only this much access to Kaizuka’s medical records --” The doctor had continued.

Slaine interrupted. Of course there had to be some sort of repercussion, he had a hand in this. “Martian technology covered most of the technicalities--”

Harklight of course would not have it; the former servant knew his lord’s habit of belittling himself. “For the surgery, Milord! You had to program it from scratch!”

Slaine felt a bitter smile form with his lips upon looking to Harklight. He could tell his servant wanted him to think more of himself. He could not. Too many have died by his hand. The people most precious are paying the price he should be paying.

 _“If only he was not here,”_ Slaine had begun thinking once again. The ashen blond looked to the resting brunette. “Regardless… I did this without his permission. I caused this in the first place. And again.” Slaine tried to remind them, remind them that Slaine was not free of this sin, if not the harbinger of this horrid fate.

The doctor sighed and rested his hand on Slaine’s left shoulder; the gesture caught him entirely by surprise. Of all that was happening, this was perhaps the only sensation that was getting through to him. “You did well Slaine. He will be fine I can assure you. From the analysis here,” the doctor went and drew Slaine’s attention to the clipboard the doctor held, “he will not experience any complications.”

“Even if now there is--”

Before Slaine could continue, Slaine could hear Yuki had returned. He could not bring himself to speak of the intricacies of what he had done. He could not think the doctor grasped what his part fully entailed. After all, Slaine had gone through this similar situation with the empress in the past. She had to stay in stasis for nineteen months and although she took more than one shot, she could not so easily be removed from the stasis before it was aware how imminent she would awake.

There had to be something else, Slaine couldn’t help suspecting… but for now. Slaine returned his gaze to the sleeping brunette. _“Even if I hold my breath for this same desperation… it seems more hopeful.”_ He tried to think optimistically. _“The doctor has said you won’t have any repercussions.”_ He further tried to convince.

As the gurney was pushed out of the room and towards one of Harklight’s vacant rooms, Slaine grasped his amulet and dared pray. _“I'm glad you're no longer in the capsule. Just please wake up._ _Didn't you tell me to trust you and wait for you? How much longer?"_

__________________

-Slaine.6: 6 months ago-

 

“Tsk.”

Slaine facepalmed as he let a block of metal fall and roll off the table. He was currently in Harklight’s workshop… making weapons.

Four months ago Slaine was finally informed of the situation in its entirety. Four months ago he got to see ‘her’ for the first time in years.

_“A rebellion is in the making and Countess Maryclian is one of the inner circle.” The empress had informed._

_“How did Lord Slaine’s location become revealed? Everything on my end is secure.” Harklight questioned. Slaine could hear his former servant’s fury in this. It was debatable whether or not the fury was at what he perceived his own ineptitude or how the empress had let this happen, let alone a rebellion form._

_Slaine sighed and faced the empress. She no longer had the naivete and innocence of when they were children. Neither of them did. She too has become jaded; she too did she lose something in the war. What did she lose, Slaine cared not for he long knew he was out of place to dare consider helping her once again. It was better if he did not get involved. It was better if._

_“The whys, the hows are meaningless at this point. Allow this relic of the past to serve you once more.” Slaine began. He bitterly smiled. His heart grew heavy as he once again bowed and performed the etiquette he once did as a low servant._

_“Slaine-” Her eyes widened and her tone no longer resembled a politician. Before him was definitely his childhood friend, his one selfish love._

_He shook his head. He remained firm. “To make way for the future, the path must be paved… even at the price of sullying what was there before.”_

_The empress’s expression contorted into uncertainty and sadness. She clearly did not want this but knew, they both knew it was a legitimate and most effective way._

_“Count Slaine Saazbaum Troyard… I hereby reinstate you and charge you with the task to bring an end to the rebellion.”_

_“As you wish, Your Highness.” Slaine obliged and the comm link was cut._

_Slaine could hear the gasps and stifled breath behind him. His mother after all was there. He was well aware of her distaste of the Versian Royal Family. He knew how much Eddelrittuo and Harklight want to talk him out of this and take his place._

_He knew what he had done; he had effectively ordered his own death warrant._

In turn, in half a year’s time would be the end. Slaine had arranged a knight’s duel, which was no trouble at all. He could already determine what kind of person the countess was and the twisted morbidity of irony in having a knight’s duel was all too hard to resist. Her brother had done such before. How could she possibly had refused?

 _“Now was the hard part…”_ Slaine realized. His hands ran through his fingers while looking over his work. Neither of them had a kataphrakt nor would such a fight on Earth be permitted.

Surely, it was more in his favor for the duel being on Earth yet that remained the question of how the countess would utilize her Aldnoah activation factor. Slaine was aware of the variability in its utility; the Empress had imparted what remained of the Tharsis’s Aldnoah engine to him. The core ability was still in tact and would be without compromise or modification. However the medium for it is in question.

Slaine shook his head and looked to the clock overhead. He had to take a break. If not, someone would reprimand him. That was unspoken deal with everyone with him now. They were aware of what he was trying to do. They didn’t like it. They didn’t like how he tried to keep a distance with him. Trying to cut the ties once again.

They wouldn’t allow it but they knew how fruitless it would be talk to him about it. And with the days dwindling, they’d rather not fight. His mother was the most adamant about that. She wouldn’t take no for an answer and vehemently pressed him to return to her house, to return home. She would not have him reside at Harklight’s. Slaine could see how his mother found the place disdainful; it resembled nothing of Earth or a civilian home. He didn’t want her here either; he wanted her to be ignorant of what life he had lived before he returned to Earth. Furthermore, Slaine didn’t want to see her saddened, defeated expression every time she saw him working through his father’s work. He always knew her displeasure on that particular task he was assigned; even before all this happened, Slaine always could find her in the corner of his eye, shaking her head and with trembling fists in anger.

The ashen blond finally stood up but immediately fell back to his seat. He grimaced when rubbing his left side. He chided to himself before once more standing up, biting his lip to force himself to walk to the place he took his break. Slaine had asked for this.

_“Yuki-san.” Slaine had paused in the middle of the dirt path and addressed the person walking in front of him. After the conversation with the empress ended, Slaine and Yuki were the last to make their way back to Kirsten’s house._

_She turned with the lantern, bringing it up to her face. “Yes?” Yuki may not have consciously been aware she was clearly trying to keep a distance, if not trying to make this walk alone with him ever more short._

_“This is your last chance.”_

_Yuki brought the lantern down. In the shrewd light, Slaine could see her brows bent in anger and clearly she was glaring at him. He was aware the older sibling didn’t want to have this discussion now but he did not care. Time was now of the essence._

_“Either end me with your hand or dare help me to prepare for the knight’s duel.”_

_She closed her eyes and grit her teeth, looking away. “You… you aren’t considering to end this without dying, are you?” She inquired._

_Slaine remained quiet; there was no point in wasting his breath._

_A moment past and she took a deep breath. She propped one arm with the lantern on her hip and made a thumbs up gesture at him. “I’ll help you all right. Only to come back! You hear?”_

_Slaine shook his head in disbelief. A baffled chuckle escaped his lips and resumed his pace, this time Yuki waited for him. Even the person he deemed most threatening, most deserving to deliver the final blow upon wanted him to come back._

As he reached the room he had daily, hourly visited, Slaine pulled out his phone out of old habit. Upon realizing the gesture, he sighed and bit his lower lip before returning it to his back pocket. The screen had momentarily flashed his last menu-- **“Drafts [4].”**

Entering the room, he again sighed when once more meeting a bewildered face of Yuki. He figured he had caught her off guard like the day before; she seemed to either forget so easily or thought little of the time.

He was wrong. His breath hitched in his throat and his eyes widened.

The brunette was awake.

“Slaine-kun--” Yuki finally spoke. Her head was blatantly red now that Slaine paid more attention.

“Thank goodness you are all right.” Inaho had said. Something was uncharacteristic. Something was off. Slaine couldn’t bring himself to be happy; perhaps he was too shocked to see the brunette finally conscious after half a year of slumber.

He quickly discerned why. “He would be relieved.” Inaho added; the eye was speaking.

Slaine tried to smile and speak but everything became awkward. His heart fluttered in glee. His heart throbbed in pain. His thoughts went at the speed of light in panic and despair.

“I-I’m glad to see you’re…” “ _Conscious? You’re not Inaho!”_ Slaine stumbled with his works and soon even faceplanting onto the brunette’s bed when tripping on himself.

The ashen blond cursed himself at his clumsiness but rose his head instantly to the brunette. Inaho had gotten a hold of Slaine’s right hand, nearest to him and brought it to his left cheek. The grip tightened and Inaho nestled his cheek onto Slaine’s palm.

“He would be at a loss if you had died.” Inaho’s eye elaborated. Slaine was unable to speak. Just like their last duel in space, Slaine could tell it was making dangerous, accurate predictions of him. It could easily see Slaine wanted to know why Inaho had done such a thing. “He had deemed you more important this his own life. You are his precious other half.”

“In-Inaho…” Slaine tried again yet he couldn’t hear himself speak. He was beginning to feel light headed and everything was starting to blur.

His prayers were ‘answered.’ But his words will never reach their destination.

“He loves you very much.” The eye said as Slaine broke into a sob, desperately clinging onto the brunette’s hand.

 _“I want to believe you. I want to hear you. I want to talk to you…. Is there anything I can do for you? For it to be possible?”_ He desperately cried.

  
__________________

-Slaine.6: Day before the Duel-

 

The clock had read 3:30 when Slaine had woke up but this time he had no plans to fall back to sleep. He had planned to get up at this time. Momentarily Slaine sat at the edge of his bed with only his feet touching the ground and looked to the now more sparse room. The closet he had been using for the last near three years had been emptied and its contents were folded into the adjacent cardboard boxes. The books and the office supplies he had accumulated on the desk were no longer present. He had returned the books to the study in which they came and redistributed the office supplies elsewhere. Slaine had made it his goal to not leave as much of a trace of his time here. It was too hurtful for him to consider leaving the room like he had daily, as if he was to return here. He did not want to leave such a glimpse of hope for his newly reacquainted family. He did not want to hope for such a future. He had no need for a future. He had discarded that long ago, if he had still had one to begin with.

Slaine sighed and went to the last pair of clothing he had left out; it was not one he had since he taken residence here. He removed his pajamas and put on the clothes systematically. He could feel his body repulse at the texture. Slaine felt a small smile of resignation form; he could recollect feeling this the first time had adorn the Versian uniform. Unlike back then however, putting the Versian uniform now was figuratively his way of discarding his individuality and his futile attempt of his Terran descent. He was not like the child back then; he was no fool in thinking this uniform would give him protection. This uniform was his epitaph.

Once fully clothed he grasped the doorknob as quietly and softly as possible. He did not want to bring attention anymore than he needed. If Slaine had his way, he would no longer be in his mother’s house to prevent this issue. His mother would not compromise anymore than this arrangement for the ordeal to unfold by the end of the day.

Before leaving the room and the house with ideally no one’s awareness, Slaine paused and took up the heavy jacket. The jacket should not have been there, Slaine had thought for every instance he had to wear it, he made it a point to hang it outside. He muffled a tearful chuckle as he knew why it was misplaced; of course his mother would know what he had in mind. Slaine closed his eyes and looked upward to the ceiling. With every ounce of willpower he could manifest, he held back the growing despair and the dangerous thoughts, wishes and cries for things, for promises that were neither meant to be nor fulfilled. He took a deep breath as he put the jacket over the gray Versian uniform he adorn and lastly, a pair of Versian gloves.

...

Life has lost its color. It had lost its meaning.

Slaine felt he was moving through the day like a ghost. He scarcely recollected or cared what he had gone through with Harklight and Eddelrittuo regarding the last minute preparations for the duel. It was only when Slaine reviewed the items he would carry on his person. One jingle. One chime. Slaine's breath stifled as he retrieved the flip phone from his back pocket, an ingrained habit now. The orange cell phone strap danged without fail. Immaculate like its former owner.

Slaine grit his teeth and cursed himself. He wanted to bring it. He wanted to throw it away. But he could not and thus it remained firmly in his grasp.

"I can keep it in your stead," Yuki said from the doorway.

Slaine looked over. He tried to straighten his face, put on the visage and act his part. Again it was all to naught. Yuki would not let him. His attempts to fool her were ineffective. If anything, she became more dangerous to him. He knew she would have become so. She was 'his' sister after all. Someone precious without question to 'him.' Someone that knew Inaho best. Someone... someone who would do no wrong to that person.

Yuki looked at him sadly. He could not hide his emotions. He was forlorn and bitterly resigned. A small chuckle escaped his lips as he looked away to the counter where his primary weapon laid. How silly to think it was nowhere as potent a weapon than the woman nearby.

"Thank you... but i think it'd be best to return to him... in person."

"Good answer. I would have smacked you if you asked me to return it in your stead." Yuki immediately stated while nodding her head in approval.

Slaine sighed, shaking his head and removed the charm, placing it in his uniform pocket. He would not do such a cowardly thing. Not at this point. There would be no-

"Better come back in one piece, you hear?" Yuki indirectly demanded.

His eyes had widened. She had caught him clean on the act as she looked at him with narrowed eyes and a smirk.

Slaine's shoulders fell slump. She could not understand why he should not. She condemns him for the countless he murdered and indirectly approves of what he would have to do to return. He could not understand why she would think he should.

Bitterly Slaine heard himself blurt. "Now is your last chance."

Yuki's smirk disappeared and addressed him seriously. "We’ve already gone through this Slaine-kun."

  
Slaine looked away and went to her. She retrieved something be had asked from her - a bouquet of flowers. He could tell she was not exactly pleased of what flower he had asked; the wrapping was heavily creased from someone tightly gripping it. She was more knowledgeable than he had initially accredited to her... then again Inaho had mentioned they had lost their parents.

"I guess you're use to Nao-kun's way of talking," Yuki tried to lighten the mood. Slaine could not bring himself to play along. He scoffed a laugh. His tone earlier was nothing short of bafflement and mockery although primarily on his own situation as opposed to hers. It did not matter to her in the long run after all. If anything, it would better if he did not return for her.

Yuki grabbed his shoulders. She demanded his undivided attention and stared him in the eye. "You have to return. If not for yours or my sake but his. He is waiting for you."

Waiting. That word alone pierced his heart. He knew that pain...but even so, his fate would be black and white - dead or alive. Even if by some miracle he was to return alive, his life here was over. He would return to a prison or an isolated space on Vers. To physically live or to physically die. The fate was the same. He is dying inside and whichever the duel ends, he will be dead inside.

Yuki grimaced. She knew her words hurt but knew they did not reach him. Only 'his' words would and they may never come to be again. Let alone Slaine did not know if his would either.

Slaine had passed Yuki and reached the room Inaho was currently staying in. He appeared awake but Slaine knew it was only an illusion. The brunette held no phone or tablet; he only stared forward and occasionally to the open window. The was active. The eye was all that seemed to revive.

_"Talk to me honestly." Inaho told him last he visited and the eye actively engaged him just as he foolishly tried to talk to Inaho._

Slaine fixed the flowers on the night stand. The eye would not know the emotional significance of them. Only Inaho would.

The eye used Inaho's voice. It was clear of Inaho's intentions. It was more bare and raw somehow than if Inaho had said the same thing.

"I'll-he'll be waiting." It monotonously stated.

Slaine could feel his face remained neutral. The first he heard, Slaine had fallen into an inconsolable cry. Now... he knew better he assured himself as he felt himself slip, sitting at Inaho's bedside. He looked to the zooming in and out artificial eye. The eye looked more natural than its initial stage and seemed to be growing nicely into place.

The ashen blond had reached for the brunette's left cheek and assessed such but above all... it was warm. He was physically here.

He was here. Slaine tried to convince himself when knowing full well it was a futile effort.

Foolish, useless wishes whispered around him. Some of which he voiced yet dared not recall.

 _“Can I come back?”_ He joked to himself thinking what the brunette would say if he was here. He wasn’t asking the right question. _“Am I allowed to?”_ Slaine shook his head. There was no more time; Harklight has come for him. It was time.

This was it. He had to leave it here. He had to leave everything of that ended life. That life that should have ended long ago. The life once extinguished but smothered back alive. Once more it will die out.

This life, this hope is too painful to bare.

Slaine removed the last of his identity. An amulet once left by a dead man. An amulet once discarded and forgotten on a moon base. And last... a phone with no one left to get a hold of to.

With a shut of a door, the dream ended. There were no miracles. Only impossible dreams.

...

-Slaine.6: Duel-

 

He went through the motions like he had done so many years before.

Harklight and Eddelrittuo stood to the side as his witnesses. Reverie Marylcian's support, the sniper, stood as hers. As if a grand splendor of a show began, Harklight declared the match to start.

Not even before the match had officially started, Reverie was already giving snide remarks. None of which Slaine exchanged; he was use to such treatment and had long ago learned any reaction would be rewarding to the person.

“Wearing the gray uniform as opposed to your original ranking attire? Already undisciplined like a true Terran scum.”

“I commend you for considering the terrain but a true Count of Vers has no need to steep so low. We have Aldnoah. We are blessed with power of the Gods!”

Upon the start of the match, Slaine discarded the windbreaker and let it fall to where he stood. Underneath it laid the uniform he once adorn as Count Saazbaum knight and a uniform Harklight once adorn. Reverie was correct as to why Slaine had chosen the attire just as she was correct for there being no need to go so far. Immediately, Reverie had become invisible, camouflaging with the environment like a salamander.

Slaine kneeled and double checked the safety was off his pistol. He did so casually as if he had no concern. There was no use panicking and if she was to strike him now, he would have an attack of opportunity. However there was no need for him to wait either.

He retrieved several odd rhombus-shaped objects. They were made of the same material as the Sky Carrier yet shimmered with the golden Aldnoah glow. Slaine twisted the top and bottom in opposite directions, releasing a lock of some sort as the object came to life. It split open through the middle, the top and bottom began to rotate and float in midair.

“Despicable Terran!” Reverie’s voice rang from nearby. A blast of hot liquid landed on Slaine’s left shoulder. It singed and immediately burned through the cloth. Slaine tried to scrape it off with his hand but found his glove stuck in the liquid.

 _“Viscous… upon cooling.”_ Slaine noted as he gave up his glove and immediately ripped the glued cloth from his shoulder.

Quickly he assembled three more similar units, which took flight around him. They hummed and scanned the area before disappearing into the distance.

“Too slow!” Reverie yelled and another rapid fire of bullet-shaped liquid barraged from Slaine’s blind spot.

Slaine narrowly avoided most but grimaced as some landed on his bare left shoulder.

“You’re rather useless without that stolen Kataphrakt aren’t you, Terran? If only brother knew you were this weak outside…” Reverie commented. Slaine could smell a light odd smell similar to heated vaseline nearby. It seemed to trail around him.

He remained silent. All duels just need one moment to conclude and Slaine was use to taking blows. All Martians were in the same on this behavioral pattern. Arrogant, hot-blooded, overly confident and blind to their own pride. The latter of which he knew from experience when reflecting over his actions in the war before ‘she’ woke up.

Slaine shook his head when a holographic screen appeared next to him; his droids had gathered and analyzed the data he needed.

“Cat’s got your tongue?”

Slaine chuckled and gave a small smile in the direction he heard her voice. Although he could not see her, he knew that alone aggravated her and doing yet another pointless provoke. He betted on that.

“Enough with you. With your death, our clan will rise again and take its rightful place next to Clan Cruhteo. It’s over!” Reverie proclaimed and immediately, her form appeared covered in a mist glowing gold.

She was a lot closer than Slaine anticipated. Reverie had appeared right in front of him and caught him by surprise. Slaine luckily side-stepped to his right and he avoided death once more by his teeth. The countess had a rapier that singed with what looked like steam; she had aimed for his heart only to be short. Her attempt landed her stuck in a tree trunk and severely cutting Slaine’s left side. She was definitely aiming for the kill, particularly at his heart.

Slaine’s droids returned and shot simultaneously as Slaine fired his pistol.

“Useless!” She laughed and retrieved her rapier with no effort. Slaine’s eyes narrowed upon seeing the tree had immediately been cut asunder and was beginning to fall upon them. The place Reverie’s rapier had been, countless fissures and fractures had formed.

 _“That blade isn’t hot. It’s--”_ Slaine groaned as Reverie once more charged yet instead of a bombardment of the mysterious fluid, she gave a flurry of stabs with her rapier. Upon contact, Slaine squinted in pain when his bare left shoulder was pierced by the blade. As he discerned, the blade was ice cold. It was either somehow exuding gaseous helium or nitrogen.

Slaine parried the rapier with his gun, which slowly became thawed on contact. Reverie grinned. Her eyes bloodthirsty and certain she was moments away from victory. The shots Slaine had fired through the droids and his pistol were ineffective. They seemed suspended in the golden cloak floating about Reverie’s person.

 _“Just a little bit longer…”_ Slaine thought to himself. He could hear the low buzz of his droids nearby finishing their computation. They were slower than the Tharsis but they were perfect for this purpose.

Reverie pressed one last time her blade against the gun. It would not yield and with a spin, she broke free of Slaine’s parry and impaled Slaine. The air was pierced out of him and the thermal shock paralyzed him, causing him to fall on his back.

“This is the end! Slaine Saazbaum Troyard!” Reverie announced and twisted her blade into Slaine’s left side. She surely had pierced his left lung considering the growing difficulty in breathing.

The twist seemed to cause a mechanism to trigger about Reverie’s blade as the golden dust started to spin and consolidate around her blade. The particles coalescence and begin to instantly drain into the puncture wound. Slaine screamed as the twist of cold and hot seared and overwhelm his senses.

But he did not give in. Not yet. He retained his focused gaze upon Reverie who slowly but surely became more and more nervous. She had yet to bend his will. Break his spirit. Even when the tide was clearly in her favor, he remained vigilant and resilient.

 _“He had to be up to something,”_ must have been pulsing through her mind and rendering her less and less firm of her action. Slaine could feel the blade ever so slightly weaken.

This was his win.

The droids fired and although they seem ineffective, they had reached their mark.

“Firing to the end, Terran? No matter how futile. You should accept defeat,” she said, trying to convince herself when deep down she knew something was off.

Slaine bitterly smiled and aimed his pistol at her, cleanly at her forehead. She did not budge thinking there was no need to and if she did, she would be doing so at the cost of her pride. Reverie could not retain her victorious, smug look however as Slaine then took a grasp of her rapier. The thermal shock took its toll on his hand yet he retained his grip. Little did the young countess see the gold particles last in her trick were immediately dripping to the ground like water. The shots his droids had fired denatured the gold particles, changing their rheological properties and rendering it to be like water.

Instantaneously to the gold particles liquefying and pouring upon her, the solution hardened from the temperature change and entrapped her like a figurine. Only her face was not sealed.

“What-- This can’t be--” Reverie started to piece together and her complexion turned pale. She gulped and Slaine could see she was facing death.

“Power of the Gods. Terran or Martian… In the end it’s life or death, is it not?” Slaine asked as he pushed the rapier out of himself and stumbled onto his feet. Did birthright really mean anything in the large scheme of things? No. It did not. Whether or not there were gods, there were no miracles after all.

It was pointless to talk to her, he could see from her trembling lips. She was upset with herself. She feared for her life yet struggled to uphold the noble behaviorism.

 _“How old is she?”_ Slaine pondered. He didn’t look over her information. He deemed it just to die blindly in her hands if she could pull it off.

No. It was child’s play. Only ‘he’ could stop him.

Slaine coughed while instructing his droids to provide more room for Reverie too much in her self-provided prison.

Her eyes narrowed and a slight hope, a disgusting light glimmered in her eye. Reverie could recollect what damage she had managed to inflict upon Slaine.

“If you do not get the substance removed from your lungs, it will harden everything inside you. Effectively you’ll die from suffocation.”

He bitterly laughed. “Did you not want me dead?” He blurted. His rather innocent and childish tone caught both of them surprised.

The countess stammered and recited words she had heard secondhand, words that convinced her what she was doing was just.

**_“You’re nothing but a dirty Terran!”_ **

**_“You used the Empress to further your selfish goals!”_ **

**_“ You tarnished, degraded the Vers Empire!”_ **

**_“YOU KILLED MY BROTHER!”_ **

She was no different than every poor soldier he had sent to space, every count that blindly followed him and Count Saazbaum before him. She was no different from every drafted person of UFE to defend their homeland. She was no different from a civilian, anyone losing a precious loved one.

 _“How foolish mankind is.”_ Slaine thought to himself. War brought nothing but suffering. However his opinion meant little, after all he was the great dictator that instigated the war and mastermind the Empress’s assassination plot. He sarcastically humored himself as he tried to catch his breath, knowing full well the last is imminent.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Reverie demanded.

Slaine had gotten up on his wobbly feet and started to feebly walk elsewhere. He paused as he struggled to breathe. He could feel the viscous substance encapsulating his lungs.

He turned to her with an unnaturally peaceful expression. "Do what... you will" was all he could care and muster to say before walking into the distance.

Slaine could hear her calling for him but he had done what he had set out to do. The rain felt cold yet welcoming. As he walked down the dirt path, he tripped on an exposed root. He chuckled at his clumsiness when getting up with some struggle. Slaine could see a cave nearby.

_"The rain was pleasant..." Inaho had once said before._

Upon entering the cave, he rested his back on the wall and let himself slide to the floor. His body struggled to breathe to no avail. No matter how much air he inhaled, it would not reach where it is needed. Slaine looked to the ceiling lazily. For a moment the ceiling spun and could have sworn to be looking to the a pool of water and a pair of green eyes.

"Ah..." Slaine weakly voiced to himself. He smiled pathetically. The irony of dying from suffocation. A fate he would have had back then.

His hand released the pistol he had long ago fired but it did not draw his attention. A jingle again rang followed by the sound of something falling into a puddle of water. Slaine could see a bloodstained orange float weakly.

Slaine tried to reach for it but his vision blurred and darkened. He could barely keep conscious and could only feel his attempt to get the charm was a failure. His hand remained empty.

He wanted to apologize yet as he felt the end approach, Slaine closed his eyes finally and with a satisfied smile. He reached the conclusion. _"This was what should have been,"_ he thought.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

…

-???-

The rain had long dwindled but a pair of boots, drenched and covered in mud made its way into the cavern. The individual went to Slaine's side and weakly caressed his cheek before checking his vitals. The individual assessed it was weak but still present and without a moment's delay, took the ashen blond into his arms. Before turning back in the direction whence he came, the individual saw the cell phone strap lying in the puddle. The man smiled and as he exited the cave, he nestled his head in Slaine’s hair, kissing him on the forehead.

"Just a little longer." Inaho said before resuming his trip back.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N2:** I apologize for the delay on posting this. After looking through it last night, I had an epiphany in addition to thinking there was more to be said. This was perhaps the hardest thing I've ever written for recreational purposes.
> 
>  **A/N3:** Regarding the knight's duel, Countess Reverie Maryclian's 'unique' mechanism involved Fluid Dynamics, Rheology and the agglomeration of Thermodynamics/Kinetics/Heat Transfer/Transport subjects. Her Aldnoah Engine embodied a substance that was viscous (resistance to flow) at room temperature but at higher temperatures (obviously a temperature that sears human flesh) can behave just like, if not even less viscous than water. Utilizing this substance's behavior, Countess Reverie had the ideal barrier and weapon. Unfortunately, Slaine's capability of data analysis combined with the Tharsis's precognition capability can easily pinpoint how to turn the tables on her. I hope this helps.
> 
>  **A/N4:** Just a notification, the next update won't be until the week of July 11th. I apologize for the inconvenience o/ Furthermore, I'd like to thank so much for the comments and kudos. :) I greatly appreciate them and they light up my day, especially keeping me on my toes! /grovel I hope you enjoyed this read just as I hope the emotions involved were properly communicated... as either of the boys ponders, "Did my words reach you?"


	7. Sakura; Cherry Blossoms

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It was no longer a question of whether he needed or wanted a future.

-Slaine.7-

He wondered if he was passing on. Slaine felt unnaturally fuzzy but in a good way. He felt lethargic yet in also a delightful manner. Slaine felt like he could easily fall asleep without a care in the world. He could not feel any negativity; he could feel only warmth and coziness. He could not recollect the last time, if ever he had felt this… peaceful… this content in a blissful manner.

Lazily, Slaine opened his eyes upon hearing a wind chime jingle to his right and a pleasant breeze brush against him. A window was open and long curtains were dancing in the wind. Sunlight poured in and seemed to bathe him in its divine light. It was as if he was being cleansed, purified.

 _“Maybe I've become an evil spirit.”_ He guessed. _"Maybe I'm currently in the purgatory, the land between life and death, the place before final judgment.”_

He chuckled to himself as he felt a big smile spread throughout his face. No light or water would be potent enough to cleanse him of his sins. This was surely fate’s last laugh.

For a moment he zoned out when feeling something weigh down on the bed he was lying in. Slaine tried to sit up to better see what it was. The source of the weight prevented him and stole his breath away by sealing his lips with a deep kiss. Slaine closed his eyes, letting the sensation wash over him. The familiar weight bore down on him, familiar hands clasped his and entwined their fingers. Slaine could feel tears well up and slowly fall down his cheeks.

 _“This must be the afterlife.”_ Slaine concluded and didn’t care anymore. If he was to be condemned and damned to the deepest depths of hell, and fate deemed this to be his final tease of what he could never have, he would cling to what brief happiness he could have.

“Slaine.” The familiar voice addressed. Slaine didn’t answer. He dared not open his eyes. He feared this visit would end if he were to. He did not want to make the same mistake as Orpheus to his Eurydice. He did not want to cast away him if fate was to once more keep them apart.

The voice called for him again but Slaine continued to remain silent. If anything Slaine turned his face away, averting his attention elsewhere. He could hear the presence sigh in frustration before feeling its breath tickle at his neck. Kisses and saliva began to trail down Slaine’s bare neck. Gentle pecks at first but soon the time apart from his neck and its lips became nonexistent. The kisses began to go longer and before long, Slaine found himself opening his eyes in surprise when hearing himself moan. Slaine tried to cover his mouth and look elsewhere but he could not avert his gaze anymore. Red eyes stared back at him and an aggravating, mischievous smile could be found.

“Don’t fall asleep on me.” Inaho demanded as he nestled his nose on Slaine’s. Slaine could feel the brunette’s breath on his nose and he couldn’t help once more to close his eyes but now tightening his hold on their clasped hands.

He was here. He was breathing. He was…

He was alive before him.

“I… I won’t.” Slaine said while choking on his sobs. Again Inaho sighed yet this time Slaine couldn’t let him do what he pleased. Inaho licked at Slaine’s tears, which immediately caused Slaine to wrestle and attempt to break free. “What- what are you doing?!”

Inaho would not release him and Slaine couldn’t gather his strength for some reason.

“Having an honest conversation with you.”

“Conver- conversation?! This isn’t a conversation--” Slaine refuted before gritting his teeth as his head was pushed back onto the pillow with his hands pressed. Inaho was holding him down, surely with everything he could muster.

“The times you talked to me through my eye weren’t either but I couldn’t necessarily argue back, now could I?” Inaho rebutted. Slaine could not argue back although he did not want to either. He could feel relief and disbelief wash over him. Slaine cried relentlessly upon hearing what Inaho had said. He was really back.

“You’re… You’re really back!” Slaine stated, almost proclaiming. He couldn’t hold back the feelings anymore. “I was afraid. I was really afraid.” He wanted to elaborate but couldn’t. The memories of waiting forever for her to awake, for him to awake pierced and shredded his heart. The silence. The coldness. Their lifelessness in their seemingly eternal slumber.

_"Why was she/he in harm’s way? Why couldn’t I have prevented it?"_

_"Why won’t you wake up? How much longer must I wait?"_

_"Will you ever wake up? Is there any hope for you to wake up?"_

_"Will you remember me? Will you be alright?"_

_"… Could you forgive me? Could I stay with you?"_

His internal torment would not grant him mercy. The questions, the quandaries, the fears, the regret would not be calmed and direly wanted to be recognized and addressed.

“I know.” Inaho said, comforting the blond and released their hands to hug the blond, who returned the embrace. Inaho could feel Slaine’s tremble profusely as he wept in Inaho’s chest. “You were very brave. I’m sorry for putting you through that again.”

Slaine couldn’t speak anymore as the sorrow he had bore for so long seemed to melt away, dissipating in Inaho’s warmth. The tears kept falling. The tears and the unvoiced cries made themselves known. And over and over again Inaho reaffirmed his presence, tightening his embrace, rubbing Slaine’s back and reassuring him, praising him for surviving his struggle. Oh how Slaine wished this was not a fleeting dream. Oh how he wanted this moment to last for eternity.

Eventually Slaine could feel his body give way. He had once again worn himself out and felt empty and expended of everything he could offer. Weakly he rested on Inaho, who allowed him that, granted him this solace. Except he could not and would not sleep. That was the one thing Inaho had demanded from him since and he dared not want to sleep for this moment to end or to wake up to realize what hell he really is in.

“Slaine…” Inaho went in his ear.

“Ye.. yes?” Slaine weakly answered and tried to turn his head to face him to no avail. An unbearable weariness was weighing him now.

Slaine could see Inaho smile and slightly break their embrace. Inaho supported Slaine to sit up a little distance away, just enough for both to face each other. Inaho could feel Slaine’s grasp weakly renew on Inaho’s waist. Inaho returned a similar gesture on his grip on Slaine’s shoulders.

“I know you’re still drugged with some painkillers and you need to rest but…” Inaho began. He could see Slaine struggle to keep his eyes open and Inaho could feel his smile open. For once the analytical eye was being useful to him at the time; it was noting Slaine’s growing struggle to stay awake. “Nevermind.” Inaho changed his mind when seeing now how Slaine was drooping and nearing collapse.

Slaine shook his head and yelled. “No!” The volume of his yell shocked himself as he stammered to apologize before mumbling under his breath, eyes hidden in his dangling, long fringe. “... I don’t want… this… to end…”

Inaho got a hold of Slaine’s left hand and particularly rubbed the ashen blond’s ring finger of this hand. Slaine’s eyes looked at Inaho’s gesture curiously and uncertain why.

“It won’t.” Inaho stated as if it was a fact. It was. Slaine was definitely, wholly under the effect of the medication Doctor Yagarai prescribed.

Slaine shook his head. He did not believe him and Inaho was not surprised. Technically there was truth in what Slaine feared and so although the circumstances were not ideal to Inaho’s preference, Inaho gave in… with some degree of respite.

“I’ll continue Slaine… if you promise me…” Inaho began while purposely only provided little bits at a time of what he had in mind. He could definitely tell Slaine was becoming annoyed yet was determined to hear him to the end, which was what he had hoped.

“Promise what?” Slaine asked in a tired voice and with a somewhat flushed face. Inaho had yet to stop massaging Slaine’s ring finger, which was much like the rest of his hand. Slaine’s hands were abnormally sensitive.

A moment past.

“Orange…”

“Only I can make you wait.” Inaho finished and as expected Slaine’s expression had contorted into confusion and bafflement.

“That’s unfair!” Slaine childishly admitted.

“No it is not.” Inaho countered and once again kissed Slaine’s neck, slowly making a trail of kisses down to Slaine’s collarbone. When he was this close to Slaine, he could hear the ashen blond’s breath hitch and a subtle sigh of contentment escape. Slaine was becoming even more flushed. “I’ve made it clear I would always come back. I can’t say the same for you.”

Slaine opened his mouth to speak but stopped. His silence implicitly meant he agreed with Inaho’s statement. “I… I understand… but why such a promise?” Slaine inquired.

“Because Slaine, I’m going to propose…” Inaho blurted but caught himself. “Something… which I will only offer once due to circumstances beyond both of our control.”

Slaine’s eyebrow rose and the lethargy that was once laying claim to him seem to be entirely warded off.

“What’s this about Kaizuka?”

“I’ve told you before I’d help reclaim what you have lost.”

“Yes… and you have… even if you almost lost--”

Inaho interrupted. “No. I had chosen to do so--”

“You could have died!.. I could have…” Slaine too interrupted and averted his gaze. “I could have lost--” He had tried to say in a weaker, trembling voice before Inaho brusquely turned his head with his other hand and kissed him.

“Slaine Troyard. You are… important to me.” Inaho tried his best to convey what he had felt this past three years. They were not words he was experienced in using. There was no inkling of logic or reason. “I would risk my life if it meant to preserve yours.”

Slaine was taken by surprise and Inaho found himself facing the same man he had informed why Inaho had saved him. This time it was not because of a request. This time it was not because of her.

The ashen blond tried to withdraw his hand from Inaho’s grasp just as he tried to withdraw once again, denying him of what was before him, what he clearly wanted and desired. “But I… your eye…. Your life you could have…”

“Slaine. I did not lose my life--”

“YOU COULD HAVE!” Slaine lashed out and once again his shoulders tremble but this time in frustration. “I’m not worth that Inaho. I’m really. Sincerely. Not worth your life. For your sister’s sake, for your friends’ sake, for her sake--”

“What about my own sake?” Inaho asked. This time Slaine was at a loss as Inaho knew he was treading into unfamiliar territory. He couldn’t help feel entirely vulnerable before Slaine. He wanted Slaine to trust him. Not out of obligation. Not out of the thought of the present. Inaho wanted Slaine to rely and trust him with his everything.

Slaine had fallen silent. He could not think of a response. Slaine was certain he was not allowed much considering all that has happened regarding the war and the recent duel. However he knew most of all he had no right in determining what another person would want or do. The empress taught him that lesson. Doing such was only his own conceit and selfishness.

He would not do such a thing to Inaho.

“Slaine you can never lose me for I have told you I am here to help you regain what you lost…” Inaho looked away as he felt his cheeks redden. “But you can gain me Slaine.”

Inaho could tell Slaine for a moment held his breath. Perhaps Slaine was uncertain what he had heard. “So Slaine… what will it be?”

The question was enough to reassure Slaine heard correctly as the ashen blond once again reddened, evermore so and covered his lips as he debated what to say. “I… don’t… know… what to say… to that.” Slaine confessed.

Inaho smiled. He could see Slaine trying to hide and hold back a growing smile behind his hand and took this chance to speak in Slaine’s ear, “Yes or no.”

The tip of Slaine’s ears had become profusely pink and Inaho could see some goosebumps on Slaine’s neck, which was beginning to show some red spots from Inaho’s handiwork. Slaine was entirely frozen in place. The ashen blond was clearly hopeless. Inaho was too; he was hopelessly in love and desired for the willingly caged bird before him to step forward, to take flight once more.

Slaine gulped as Inaho resumed his distance and gazed upon him lovingly. Like Kirsten, Slaine could tell implicitly Inaho too was fine at the prospect of waiting for him, for him to be ready to answer. He did not need to though. A miracle laid before him and this time, he would not let it slip through his fingers. He would reach out and seize what he had thought unobtainable.

The ashen blond had closed his eyes, recollecting himself and as he opened them, he couldn’t help feeling for the first time in what may seem eternity, smiling from his heart and without reservation or accepting what had happened was enough. It was no longer a question of whether he needed or wanted a future. The future was boundless and there was nothing more to lose. Inaho was here and willingly offered his hand before him, no matter the circumstances, no matter the bad blood between them in the past. Thus there was only one answer.

“Yes.”

 

 

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

-Unison: A few months later-

 

Like so many years before, Slaine found himself standing at the curb waiting for a car to come for them and wordless and blank like a slate. He could only hopelessly wonder why he was in this situation again. He knew the answer why though.

"She should be here soon. Yuki-nee said she was at gate 7." Inaho informed as he walked from behind Slaine.

Slaine could barely hear Inaho. Slaine had been distracted by the strong wind, which nearly took away his baseball cap. He thought he should when finding the brunette standing next to him, looking not at all amused but upon opening his mouth to speak, the brunette snatched his hat.

"Inaho! I need--"

"No you don't. Your disguise is fine."

Again, the ashen blond was about to speak yet as once again cut short. A jeep had pulled over and a door was open from the inside. A long-haired brunette warmly greeted and welcomed them in.

Inaho reassured Slaine while bringing their luggage into the trunk. "Trust me Slaine."

With that, Slaine was once more at a loss of word and conceded. The brunette would not budge and to be truthful, Slaine grew tired of maintaining the hat. It was hotter here than he had anticipated and at worse, Inaho would just have to take responsibility as he says so often. Slaine wouldn't have it any other way at this point.

"How was the flight, Slaine-kun? Nao-kun? I didn't think you'd have been so cutthroat on the airfare and took a red-eye." Yuki said while driving them out of the airport.

"Tiresome." Inaho stated while Slaine seemed preoccupied. Yuki could easily piece together in what manner Inaho referred to as 'tiresome.'

The ashen blond was messing with his hair and fidgeting; clearly he was nervous. Slaine's disguise -- to Slaine's standards -- appeared light with only dying his hair a dirty blond. Everything else had remained the same although Yuki could recollect Slaine had originally extended his disguise to changing his eye color to hazel. It was clear even to Yuki what Inaho was physically attracted to.

Yuki caught herself chuckling and an annoyed stare from her brother from the car mirror. She tried to hold back her smile. "Don't fall asleep on me after seeing Doctor Yagarai; I'm going to reserve a spot at the park after all."

"Reserve?" Slaine asked and turned his attention. His eyes were full with wonder and curiosity.

Both Yuki and Inaho couldn't help but look back at one another, completely excluding the ashen blond.

"You'll see." Yuki could only say while sharing the same surprise as Inaho.

 

***

-Souma Hospital-

 

"I'm glad to see you could come... Kaizuka-kun." Dr. Yagarai addressed Slaine as they walked down the hospital corridor.

"Th-thank you for your help from before.. It-it's the least I can do." Slaine said nervously and looked at Dr. Yagarai more puzzled than before when the doctor looked back smiling; the doctor held the doorknob into a room that seemed rather new.

"I.. take it this is why you wanted me to come?" Slaine inferred.

"Yes. You see..." Dr. Yagarai went while opening the door and upon entering the room, Slaine with Inaho slowly behind him walked in. Instantly Slaine recognized the equipment and came to a standstill in the center of the room. Doctor Yagarai remained at the door with Inaho.

"I had presented the work you had done on Kaizuka-kun's engine to the developers and they were fascinated with your incorporation of Aldnoah. They have also looked into what you have also decoded from Dr. Troyard's research regarding medical applications of the alien technology."

Inaho's brow became cross when seeing Slaine's response; it was not looking good for Slaine had once more looked to the ground, fringe over his eyes. His hands had formed into fists.

"I... see... so UFE wants me to--"

"No for the medical applications the medical staff here at Souma Hospital were the ones making the pitch for."

Slaine turned to Doctor Yagarai brusquely. Doctor Yagarai can easily predict what Slaine was going to ask. "Currently only Aldnoah technology are actively used for militaristic purposes. With your most recent findings, surely you can turn the tide of the current mindset behind this and also help the people of Earth." Inaho elaborated.

"With... Martian Technology? Me helping?" Slaine retorted at Inaho. It was clear he was shaking in anger and frustration.

"You have already." Inaho stated, firmly holding his ground. "Would you not kill to help people of Earth?"

"OF COURSE I WOULD!" Slaine exclaimed.

"Then there's all to it." Doctor Yagarai went.

Slaine was rendered speechless and then averted his eyes. "It can't... just be all that..."

"The decision is yours, yours alone Troyard-kun." Doctor Yagarai added. "I see potential and I feel as a practitioner of this field, it is to my interest to offer the opportunity to foster that."

Cautiously Slaine looked at the doctor and then to Inaho who nodded.

"Think about it Troyard-kun." Doctor Yagarai added to which Slaine nodded, still looking away.

"Th-thank you for the consideration." Slaine said, following Inaho out.

***

Once outside the hospital, Slaine followed behind Inaho who continued walking down the sidewalk as opposed to what they had usually done. Inaho neither waited for a car nor went to rent a car.

"Must be close wherever we're going," Slaine inferred and snatched the baseball cap from Inaho; the brunette had hold it oddly enough instead of leaving it in Yuki's car.

"You could have asked," Inaho said with a slightly annoyed voice yet retaining his expressionless face.

Slaine caught up to Inaho's pace and the two walked side by side. He ignored Inaho's comment and asked, "Where are we going?"

"To the park for a hanami."

"Hanami?"

Inaho remained silent much to Slaine's dismay but upon reaching the entrance of the park, Inaho pointed forward where Slaine could piece it together. As expected, Slaine's eyes widened and his jaw dropped. Furthermore, Slaine started to walk forward without much consideration of what he would potentially walk into; his eyes were entirely fixated at the numerous branches of cherry blossoms. To him the path seemed heavenly and he couldn't help but be fully absorbed in its beauty... until someone got a hold of his hand.

"Careful now, Slaine." Inaho warned.

Slaine apologized and looked to their grasped hands before averting his gaze. The two had stopped at the entrance. "Sh-shouldn't you worry about public appearance, Kaizuka?"

Inaho tilted his head; once more he aggravated Slaine to no end. Slaine face palmed and groaned.

"Ah." Inaho went when Slaine pulled his hand away from Inaho's. The brunette reached into his pocket. "I suppose you would be. Personally, I could careless as it's none of their business. In that case..." Inaho trailed and offered his hand.

"What?" Slaine hissed, somewhat annoyed.

"Your amulet please." Inaho gestured.

Slaine cautiously gave into Inaho's demand all while looking confused. Not for long however. Inaho retrieved a silver band which was formed by a small, simple star that seemed to be suspended in a spin; it looked like a shooting star.

"With this, the last of the formalities are completed." Inaho stated and offered the amulet back with his left hand, which also adorn a matching ring.

The 'ashen blond' was left speechless and frozen. They remained standing there for countless moments until someone had run over to them -- Yuki.

"You two! I've been waving at you for the last few minutes and-" Yuki had complained before seeing Inaho's deadpan expression and then Slaine's amulet still resting on Inaho's hand. "Oh."

Yuki nervously chuckled. "So-sorry for interrupting the moment but Nao-kun had told me about your wine! He said it resembled sake, which I find hard to believe so--"

Slaine finally snapped out of it and put the amulet back on, completely ignoring Inaho who smiled confidently. It was definitely a smile Slaine would want to wipe off Inaho's face instantly yet Slaine couldn't help himself from blushing.

"I-i-i-i-i-imp-! Impossible! Sake and wine are entirely two different things. The ingredients are entirely different and each brewing process require a different finesse..." Slaine stammered and rambled, following Yuki to a spot under a cherry blossom.

Inaho followed behind the two only to be stopped by Slaine who had pointed at him. "And you! Watch how much you drink!"

"Eh?" Yuki blinked and covered her mouth, gasping. She mischievously smiled and nudged her brother, who had gone to sit next to her. "What do you do when you're wasted, Nao-kun?"

Yuki giggled and gestured, ushering Slaine to take a seat, who bashfully complied and was offered various delicacies by Yuki.

Inaho took his first sip of sake. "I guess you'll find out."

Slaine dropped his food back into the bento box upon hearing Inaho's response and quickly, seized the sake bottle. "Not if I help it, Orange."

 

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

-Later that night: Tr0yard-

 

Kirsten looked to the clock and sighed.

 _"Maybe he won't call."_ Kirsten thought while flickering the switches one by one on the prototype plane, effectively shutting it off.

Only the light under the belly of the plane remained. She reached to turn it off but instead went to sit down on the chair next to it. She crossed her arms and looked to the night sky. The moon, regardless how shattered and maimed it was from the past, continued to shed its pure light before her. Very few clouds skewed the light and somehow even the stars were bright for her to see.

Kirsten got up and walked forward, just enough to allow the one hand she outstretched, open palm to be covered in the moonlight.

Light so without warmth, light so bright which illuminated the night..." Kirsten mused with a bitter smile. To think for the last few years she was blessed another opportunity to live with her son. His childhood had long ended and the responsibilities of motherhood were no longer ones she could fulfill. Because of that...

Kirsten rolled her fingers inward and formed a fist. Still the light was not within her grasp.

Because of that, she wanted to make sure she could do everything for her son. She wouldn't squander, waste this opportunity.

_"What do you want Japanese boy?" Kirsten had sneered. She was so infuriated she had tossed her wrench at him, albeit primarily aiming for the toolbox that so coincidentally was next to him._

_Inaho knelt, getting on his knees and bowed his head. Kirsten's anger momentarily whisked away but she dared not let it dissipate. She clung to it while aiming the screwdriver, she had in her other hand._

_"Out with it Kaizuka. My patience is nil for what you've done." Kirsten bitterly blamed. She knew it was not his fault for what became of him after defending her son. Kirsten deep down wanted to thank him yet too wished he was not the cause, the heart of everything that has taken place as of late. She had sworn upon embracing her son months ago, she would make sure he'd not leave home, no matter who and yet she could do nothing but scarcely provide a jacket, respect his wishes to not be seen off to perhaps his death._

_The brunette looked up, slightly with a squint. He was surely still in some pain from the transplant. Kirsten felt her entire being tremble in fury and despair. She wanted to kick the Japanese boy back to bed out of concern. She wanted to weep and hug him close out of unspeakable gratitude for saving her son. Yet she could not do so. Her son is no longer home. Her son even home continued to despair. Continued to be tormented. And there was nothing she could do. Only the person before her could have... yet he couldn't._

_"Mrs. Troyard... I know... what I am going to ask of you--"_

_She couldn't keep her anger in check; the screwdriver flew and narrowly missed Kaizuka's left side of his face. Her eyes momentarily widened; he however did not flinch. He once more was determined. He would not be deterred._

_Kirsten took a deep breath, closed her eyes and looked away. Perhaps her anger could be momentarily quelled if not seeing the source of all her son's suffering may help her be logical._

_"What is it, Kaizuka?" Kirsten again asked, this time in a more calm voice._

_She could not continue averting her gaze from Kaizuka. He bowed his head. He effectively prostrated himself to her. She knew what this meant and to continue looking away was disrespectful. Kirsten grit her teeth and her fists tightened ever so. She growled and waited, waited for the brunette to continue. He did not and so she walked forward, brushing his left cheek._

_"Surely this is what my son would have done if he could see you," Kirsten thought. She hated herself yet she could not bring herself to be angry anymore. She could presume what her son would have wanted, as if he was behind her telling her to relent._

_"Rise," Kirsten demanded and a tear went down her cheek. "Rise. There's... there's no need for this."_

_Inaho slowly rose his head; their eyes met for she had knelt to him. He still did not stand. "There is." Inaho countered._

_"Of course there is," Kirsten commented with a baffled, bitter laugh._

_"Mrs. Troyard, I would like to ask you for your blessing."_

_Kirsten blinked._

_Inaho was about to reiterate before being once more, familiarly tossed like a sack of potato. Even the gesture surprised Kirsten. She was speechless and red. Again, Inaho went on his knees and was about to prostrate to her but she stopped him with her yell._

_"What madness are you talking about?! Have you lost your mind? Have you not been informed of what will become of him? Either to die out there or be imprisoned to a place far from here. On that bastard planet of dust! Behind iron bars where not even the sunlight will reach!" Her heart hurt. Her voice became hoarse. She once more shrieked. "What power do you have left to prevent this? He could be dead as we speak! What can you do against death?"_

_"He won't die." Inaho immediately responded. His eyes still fixated her._

_"E-even so Kaizuka--"_

_"Hence I ask, Mrs. Kirsten Troyard... may I have your blessing?" Inaho once again asked. This time he elaborated. "I promise you I will not let anyone take him where he doesn't want to go."_

_She laughed at him in utter disbelief. "Words. Empty, useless words--"_

_"Actions are no better. I did everything I could to protect him and he is in worse shape than before. There is still one last thing I can do to set things right but I dare not, will not treat him any less than an equal to do it!" Inaho proclaimed. His brows had become crossed. "He wants to return home."_

_Kirsten wept and fell to her knees. She could not thwart the infamous strategist before her. She knew even before her son why her son could not remove himself from this man. Her son may have long lost the ability to tell what he himself wanted and have long accepted, resigned himself to nothing but death. Inaho knew otherwise. Inaho knew of his discarded dreams and desires._

_Once more Inaho resumed. "I ask for your blessing. I ask not as a part of the UFE or 'her' representative. I ask you as myself, asking for your son's hand, not Slaine Saazbaum Troyard's custody."_

_Kirsten once again blinked and shook her head. "Dear god..." She went in disbelief. Her behavior entirely tossed Inaho into a bout of confusion. The brunette was about to speak once more before she pointed a finger at him. "You almost had me entirely sold... until the custody part. You still have a lot to learn Kaizuka Inaho."_

_Inaho sighed and for once, Kirsten was happy to see his expressionless face._

_"Only on one condition." She added._

_**Ring.** _

_**Ring.** _

Kirsten fumbled for her phone and noticed something peculiar -- the number was not labeled. She had been expecting 'him' to call yet had surely properly added his number to her contacts. Regardless, she had long answered.

"He-hello.... Mom?" The voice on the other side greeted.

She smiled and returned the greeting. Of course Inaho would get him a new phone. The two had discussed what Slaine was -- as far as he knew -- disclosing to her for the first time.

"So..." Slaine trailed off. Kirsten could easily picture her son looking at his dwindling thumbs or to his lower right out of nervousness, with a slight blush. Unlike his usual nervousness though, Kirsten could hear the happiness and hope in his voice.

Her eyes watered for it had been so long since she had last hear such a voice full of vitality from her son.

"Mom?" Slaine asked; Kirsten coughed when realizing she had remained silent.

"Y-yes dear--"

"S-sorry. It's past midnight there isn't it? Perhaps it'll be better to discuss in the mor--"

"It's fine Slaine. I'm happy for you and you sound like you are as well."

"Y-yes..." Slaine agreed and for a moment fell silent. Kirsten could hear him sigh or more accurately a stifled breath. She could tell he was struggling to say something. "Mom... I..." He began but stopped.

Kirsten was familiar with this habit and so she took over. "Harklight has gotten a handle with your agricultural work--"

"Ye-yes but--"

"that you so easily tossed aside and said it can move onto the next phase of adopting the practices on Vers. On the other hand, it sounds like findings with your father's work seems to show more promise for future projects--"

Her son gulped. Kirsten couldn't help grin notoriously.

"Mom, I'm sorry I know--"

"Just what your father had envisioned."

The other side immediately fell silent.

Kirsten elaborated. "Although I cannot speak of the time you both were in Vers... I know once upon a time, your father had envisioned making the world better. He was for a time an advocate of global collaboration for science."

"Why we went around the world..." Slaine mumbled, realizing perhaps not all of his father's doings were for Aldnoah, if so not for his own interest. He then derailed the conversation as he quickly picked up what Kirsten was implying. "But Mom that would mean--"

"Would mean living over there for a time at least, if not permanently yes?"

Silence again. "Slaine dear." Kirsten said while smiling peacefully to the moon; she leaned on the side of the double gates to the workshop. Kirsten looked away from the moon and to the entrance of her residence.

Nearly three years ago she had walked forward; he had stumbled out of a car in nothing but a pair of jeans and an oversized pale blue shirt.

"This will always be your home. You can always visit or come back here. You aren't bound to stay here simply because this is home.. but Slaine..." Kirsten conveyed, closing her eyes and recalled the brunette standing before asking for her blessing and also when he had first mentioned her son being alive. "Home isn't necessarily a physical place."

She could hear him hold his breath. He was surely about to cry.

"Home, Slaine... Home is where the heart is... and I think both of us know where your heart is." She finished.

He broke into a cry and as he tried to hold back the tears and sobs, he tried to apologize.

"I wouldn't have it any other way. He's been true to his word, hasn't he?"

"Ye-yeah."

Kirsten sighed and finally turned off the last light in the workshop. "Is that all dear? I'm going to turn in for the night now. After all, sounds like I need to start thinking of something better than a burgundy -rarely used- couch for your housewarming."

"Wait! Isn't that going to far--" Slaine stammered.

"Hmm? Hasn't Inaho told you? Oh." Kirsten playfully acted dumb. "Sorry dear. I guess you have not been informed. Anyhow goodnight."

Slaine opened his mouth to speak but stopped upon hearing the dial tone. He removed the phone from his ear and looked at it blankly. He sighed upon hearing the sliding door to the balcony give way and knew who was behind him, leaning against the revealed door frame.

"How'd it go?" Inaho asked.

Slaine looked over his shoulder with tired eyes. The brunette knew what he was going to say and so why bother asking that question? "You know how it would go. You had this entirely planned." Slaine said monotonously, somewhat tired of the brunette's shenanigans.

Inaho quietly stared to Slaine, who turned around from facing outward to the balcony and now facing Inaho, leaning his arms on the railing. Slaine looked down to the ground which Inaho couldn't help smiling warmly to. _"Looking to the lower left means he's nervous... looking down means he's contemplating something he already has made a decision for... something he wants."_ Inaho thought and was pleased to know Slaine had gotten to that point.

"You had this all planned out... so why did you even consider telling me think about it?" Slaine questioned, hesitantly. His eyes were watering.

"The choice is still yours to make. Yours alone to make Slaine. You can decide how you will live the remainder of your life." Inaho elaborated more than he had intended yet Slaine's hesitant voice concerned him.

"E-even so you still-"

Inaho sighed; Slaine knew what he was getting at but that was not what Slaine was asking for. Inaho was missing his question entirely. This time there would be no misunderstanding... but that doesn't mean Inaho would work with him without a struggle. "Admit it Bat, I have come to understand you."

Slaine perked up and looking at him as if in disbelief before shaking his head. He was in denial. "No. I'll never understand you. You will never understand me."

"Never is a strong word." Inaho commented and decided to approach the ashen blond whose shoulders were beginning to tremble.

"G-Get away from me, you- you drunkard!" Slaine complained as Inaho began to embrace him.

Inaho did not listen like normal and initially Slaine detested Inaho's attempt before finally giving in, resting his head on Inaho's shoulder.

"I... hate you." Slaine lied.

 

 

☆☆☆☆☆☆☆

-Souma Hospital: A year later-

 

"Gah!"

Calm winced and rubbed his hip. As he opened his left eye, he apologized and slowly went to help the person he bumped into. Some papers were still falling from their initial impact. "Sorry! I wasn't looking and--"

The other person interjected. "N-no. I was in a rush so I"m equally to blame."

He laughed as he realized who he had bumped into. A silver amulet glimmered alongside a ring from the person's neck. "Aster!"

Aster looked up, adjusting his gray glasses and also shared the baffled laugh. "Calm-san-"

"Ugh. C'mon man. Drop the formalities! I've told you so many times!" Calm exclaimed while wrapping his arm around Aster's neck and giving him a noggin'.

Aster chuckled before clearing his throat much like Calm released him when a certain brunette approached them from down the hall. Calm whistled while trying to calm his best friend.

"Whoa there Inaho. No need to go on the offensive. Babes are my thing and--"

"You nearly mistook him as one--"

Calm blushed and Aster tried to muffle a laugh. "HEY! That was so long ago! Cut me some slack!"

Inaho retained his expressionless stare but it was clear there was a glimmer of annoyance.

Aster coughed and smirked. "It's your fault for making me wait for so long, Inaho."

The brunette turned his gaze to Aster and sighed. "Yuki-nee was adamant for a particular brand of sake--"

The dirt blond researcher's complexion paled and he facepalmed. He groaned as Inaho offered a hand to Aster. "It won't be that bad."

Calm whistled and awkwardly left the two, especially when Aster took Inaho's offered hand.  The brunette also wore a matching ring.

"I beg to differ. You weren't the one having to cleanup."

"I couldn't help being blacked out and you disapprove my use of the engine--"

Aster sealed Inaho's lips with his as they turned down a vacant corridor; he had pushed him and cornered him on the wall. "Not. Another. Word." Aster said.

His face was bright red and Inaho couldn't help breaking a smug smile; there was no way Inaho would comply. He returned the kiss while cradling the back of Aster's neck and whispered into Aster's ear, which reddened even more," I love you."

 

 

 

_**-Fin** _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N:** Sakura a.k.a. Cherry Blossom is a flower symbolizing the renewal and fragility of life. In Japan the blooming period of cherry blossoms mark the start of the school year/fiscal year; it celebrates a fresh start. "Hanami" means 'watching blossoms.'
> 
>  **A/N2:** Thank you very much for seeing to the end of this. It's been... quite the emotional roller coaster writing this.


	8. Extra: Bird of Paradise

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> They move forward, moving into... their new apartment.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

>  **A/N:** Bird of Paradise carries the message of "Stay open to new possibilities and seek your freedom wherever you can find it. Explore the world with a sense of optimism and excitement."

-No Differences-

"That should be the last one." Inaho informed after closing the door. He had signed the slip for the moving folks and officially, Slaine and Inaho had moved into their new apartment.

Slaine sighed and flopped onto the couch. "Thank god."

"That out of shape, Troyard?" Inaho teased upon entering the living room. The ashen blond glared at him with narrowed eyes; his face was slightly flushed from exertion.

Inaho smiled and headed to the kitchen. "I'll fix you some lemonade."

"How kind of you." Slaine bitterly commented and entirely relaxed, letting his head fall limp over the couch and closed his eyes. He then sighed when Inaho had approached from behind him and let the cold glass of lemonade with ice.

"Thank..." Slaine began as he opened his eyes only to meet the brunette's gaze. "you..?" Slaine gulped as something about Inaho's gaze made him nervous.

Inaho offered the drink to him which Slaine hesitantly took and cautiously took a sip. He couldn't help avert his eyes from the brunette. Slaine felt his cheeks redden even more. As he drank, Inaho reached over Slaine to which Slaine almost spitted what he had just sipped.

"Inaho!" Slaine reprimanded; he coughed as he had incidentally nearly choked on the lemonade.

The brunette blinked and waved the TV manual; in his other hand, Inaho held the TV remote. "Unlike Vers, we have to set this up."

Slaine sighed and looked away annoyed. There were surely other ways to have gotten the manual--

"Sorry to bring your hopes up."

Slaine paused with his eyes widening and slowly he stopped drinking to look at Inaho, who remained expressionless over what he had said.

"Do I... even..." Slaine started to ask before shaking his head. He was beginning to ponder whether or not this was a smart idea.

"Yes you look like you wanted to--" Inaho tried to answer without fully realizing what Slaine was going to ask; clearly Inaho had misjudged what Slaine was going to ask. Slaine had slapped his hand onto Inaho’s lips to prevent him from saying anything.

"Not. Another. Word." Slaine demanded in an exasperated tone.

Inaho kept his lips shut after Slaine slowly removed his hand and the ashen blond placed his now empty glass on the coffee table. Slaine crossed his arms as the brunette went to the plasma TV they had placed in front of the couch and manually turned on the TV. Curiously Slaine watched Inaho flip through the manual and within moments, return to the couch now with a functional remote. Immediately, the first channel that appeared to work was the news channel. Slaine looked away but a moment or two later, he heard the television turn off.

"Not going to watch?" Slaine asked, looking at Inaho puzzled.

"They are replaying the 5 p.m. news." Inaho explained and gazed back at Slaine. "Unless would you want to watch something in particular?"

Slaine looked to the pitch black TV screen and pondered, seeing their reflection. To think they would now be cohabiting even more than when they were in Switzerland was starting to boggle his mind. What was he thinking when agreeing to do this? His eyes wandered to the cabinet near the apartment door and recollected his current identification.

"Slaine?" Inaho addressed and continued, "or perhaps should I address you with your new identity?"

The ashen blond returned his gaze to his lap. "N-no. It's all right." Slaine mumbled; he was at a loss really at the moment.

They had finished moving everything not only into their shared apartment but into their ideal location... for the most part. Slaine eyed to the bedroom... their one master bedroom, where a queen size bed was positioned. Apparently a bed his mother herself had gifted to them, which rendered him unable to decline.

"Pretty boring isn't it?" Inaho commented; something Slaine didn't think he would hear from Inaho. However looking at Inaho now, there was neither a tablet or smartphone near him.

"I can't believe I'll say this..." Slaine went and sighed, looking once more at the vacant TV screen where their reflection. "but I agree."

"Even in Switzerland, we did not have much time to idle like this."

"Yea..." Slaine sighed and closed his eyes. Regardless if it was Switzerland or Vers, Slaine rarely had free time and if he did, typically he could sleep. It was too early to sleep and judging from Inaho's face, he too would also agree. They were also both tired from moving into consider going out, let alone... now that Slaine's eyes wandered to the part of the TV screen where the kitchen was reflected. They had at least the remainder of this week and the next off before they were to resume work. How were they suppose to use that time?

"Eep!" Slaine yelped and brusquely leaned forward and somehow bumped his knee on the coffee table. As he rubbed his knee and groaned, he looked to the culprit. "What was that for, Kaizuka?"

Inaho had gotten closer than Slaine had initially recalled and had gentle kissed and nibbled at Slaine's neck. Slaine was wearing yet another tee shirt that was a bit too loose around his neck.

"What do you think?" Inaho asked in a tone that once again made Slaine feel weird. The brunette's gaze also reinforced that feeling.

Slaine looked away as he returned to his seat; he could feel his cheeks had once again become flush. "Pl-please consider where you-you're nibbling! It's too... how...hot here... to... to... wear turtlenecks and--"

Slaine tried to focus yet his attention was starting to become unnaturally absorbed to Inaho's grasp on his hand that rested on the couch. The brunette was entwining their fingers and Slaine couldn't help feeling himself relaxing into the couch while Inaho once more had gotten closer to him, this time he was now leaning over him, his breath tickling Slaine's neck. One nibble more and a sigh full of contentment brushed over Slaine before Inaho wrapped one hand behind Slaine's neck, gently grasping his hair and kissed Slaine on the lips... deeply. Slaine found his will dwindle and giving into Inaho's antics, returning the gesture before the two took a moment to catch their breath. Inaho did not rest for long as he returned to nibbling at Slaine's neck and having his other hand wonder under Slaine's shirt.

"In-Inaho." Slaine stammered. He could feel goosebumps form on the skin now exposed to the open air and then Inaho's suspiciously overly gentle brush on his back.

"Yuki-nee gifted us some ointment for your scars--"

"She didn't need to--"

"I know but she felt responsible for the ones from then." Inaho interjected back as he backed away from Slaine's neck and with his other hand, rubbed at Slaine's side... then wondering to his jeans. Immediately, Slaine regained his wits and looked to where Inaho was reaching.

"Inaho..."

"Slaine." Inaho addressed and once more made a trail of kisses on Slaine's neck. Slaine again could feel his willpower leaving him and this time having difficulty verbalizing, let alone thinking what he was trying to say. "Will you let me?"

"Le-le-let you.. Hey!" Slaine stammered before exclaiming as Inaho's hand intruded his pants, a finger working its way in between. As Slaine's eye met Inaho's, Slaine now knew what was causing him to feel weird. Inaho was looking at him with eyes full of desire... lust...

"If you don't want to, it's all right." Inaho reminded and retained his expressionless face, surely trying to reassure. The entire expression bewildered Slaine and he couldn't help but once again fall into his nasty nervous habit.

"N-no..." Slaine mumbled. _"We are... together... surely... this would happen... I don't want to.. disappoint but…”_ Slaine looked to Inaho; he was sure the brunette could see right through him. Inaho did not push any further. Again Inaho was respecting him like an equal, like a person... waiting for him. Slaine grit his teeth and gulped, closing his eyes and bowing his head. "It's- it's fine."

Inaho tilted his head; he clearly was assessing the truth in Slaine's words. Slaine blushed as he felt Inaho's finger tap at his entrance, testing him. Again Slaine reiterated. "It's-it's- eek!"

Slaine yelped upon feeling Inaho's finger enter and automatically Slaine could feel his body tensing, bracing itself for something bad like so many times before. "Slaine... are you really sure?" Inaho again asked.

Slaine opened to speak but couldn't make any actual words, Inaho's finger had touched something that rendered his body to tremble in an inexplicable frenzy. "Gah!"

Inaho withdrew his hand immediately upon Slaine's yelp. "You all right?" Inaho asked out of concern as Slaine felt himself weaken into Inaho's chest while he embraced himself. He wasn't sure what came over him.

"I... I don't know." Slaine sheepishly answered. "It-it felt weird."

"I'm sorry." Inaho oddly apologized and Slaine could see the brunette looked to the bedroom. Inaho elaborated, "I should have used some lubricant first."

Slaine flushed red and couldn't help avert his eyes to his lap, resting his head on Inaho's chest inadvertently. "Ho-how can you say that so easily?!" He blurted.

"I did not." Inaho responded with no lapse of time or a tinge of hesitation. "I'm nervous as well."

The latter response caught Slaine by surprise and in disbelief. He looked to Inaho with an expression just the same.

"I don't want to hurt you Slaine. I don't want to push you through this yet I know you'll tell me otherwise." Inaho explained.

Slaine blinked and was at a loss. He... was touched for Inaho verbalizing what he had thought, surprisingly instead of being bitter. "Why... why go so far?" Slaine mumbled and could see the bulge in Inaho's pants. "I... don't know why you feel that way about me but if you want it why not--"

"Because Slaine you are precious to me." Inaho countered and Slaine could feel Inaho grasp either side of his face and made the ashen blond look at him. Slaine tried to avert his eyes yet when in the brunette's grasp, he could only close his eyes. He felt a lump in his throat. "Slaine." The brunette once addressed.

Slaine gulped and slowly opened his eyes. He could see he had done wrong to the brunette yet he could not help such. Inaho looked at him sternly; Slaine had insulted in some way.. no... Inaho was upset with him for once again belittling himself. He still couldn't understand why Inaho did view him precious or go so far as he had thus far since they've fallen on Earth... for him. Slaine could no longer dismiss it by simply fulfilling her request or perhaps his mother's request now.

"I want it only if you want it Slaine. Only if you truly want it." Inaho said in order to break the silence. Slaine looked at the brunette, again wordless. To be given the choice of what he wants was still foreign to him.

 _"That same look again…”_ Slaine observed as Inaho looked at him lovingly yet in pain, perhaps pitifully at Slaine, perhaps at what circumstances that had led to Slaine's current state of character. The same expression his mother had constantly had whenever his mother surely tried to spoil him with even bare necessities such as clothes around. It had been so long since he had worn something out of uniform, even a prison uniform seemed more normal to him than what he wore now.

"I..." Slaine tried to answer... He knew he had to say something. There was nothing Inaho could infer without it not being what Slaine intended. There were no alternative clothes or some answer that was not 'no' for Inaho to work upon. Slaine rested his head on Inaho's shoulder and with one trembling hand, grasped at the amulet that still rested on his chest. With his other, he weakly clung to Inaho's shirt. "I... would like... to know what you mean." Slaine tried. "I'd like to know what it feels to be treated as precious." Slaine finally voiced and he could feel his body shudder just as his eyes water. His voice had choked near the end. It was so long since he had spoke something so selfishly... something that would leave him vulnerable. Something that would break him beyond repair.

Inaho grasped Slaine's hand that gripped his shirt and as Slaine shyly looked up, Inaho kissed him on the forehead. "I'll be gentle... and always." Inaho went but stopped until Slaine's eyes were squarely on him. "I'm here." Slaine could feel tears roll down his cheeks and within moments, he dare not resist Inaho taking him into his arms and carrying him to their bed.

***

By the time Slaine regained his senses, he awoke to the sound of rain dripping down the nearby window. The room was dark and only the ghastly temporary glow from thunder outside lit the room. He tried to move but groaned from exhaustion; he could barely move his hips. Momentarily Slaine gave up trying to get out of bed and instead leaned on his back instead of remaining on his side. By doing so, he could see the brunette sleeping peacefully to his left. Inaho was currently sleeping facing him and much to his displeasure, Slaine could feel the corners of his cheeks rise. With the back of his left hand, he covered his face as he tried to not too heavily reflect what the two had done.

Limbs were everywhere at one point. Contented sighs, hitched breath and muffled panting filled the air. Sweat and heat had enveloped him.

Slaine brought his other hand and covered his face. He was definitely turning red realizing they had gone so far. He had known eventually they would and imminently so when Inaho had presented the matching rings the last time they were in Japan. What he was not prepared for… was how disturbing relaxed… and content he was.

_“Hard- harder!” Slaine had begged with tears running down his cheeks with no sign of ending._

_“No.” Inaho denied and continued his gentle embrace on Slaine. The brunette leaned forward and spoke into Slaine’s ear, “Give up Bat. I’m not going to treat you terribly.”_

_Slaine bit his lower lip and tried to break free from Inaho’s grasp but his body was entirely at Inaho’s mercy. The ashen blond could only weep quietly. “W-why… I--” Slaine had tried to argue only for Inaho to once more speak in his ear._

_This time Inaho spoke in a whisper, “You’ve suffered enough Slaine. You do not need to punish yourself to this extent.”_

_Slaine couldn’t utter another word. His voice choked in his throat as Inaho once more moved and Slaine’s body trembled and relished in Inaho’s caress. Inaho leaned back and spoke once again, clearly seeing Slaine shut his eyes tight. “Pain isn’t all there is to it… Bat!”_

_Of course Inaho wouldn’t let Slaine have his way and in one last notion, Slaine finally snapped and the voice he thought had died, went out against his will and uncontrollably so. As his high died down, Slaine couldn’t help feeling extremely sensitive yet warmly so. He shuddered and whimpered when Inaho pulled out from him and collapsed next to him. Slaine weakly turned his head to Inaho who sighed in contentment before wrapping an arm over Slaine, bringing him close._

_“Unfair.” Slaine pouted when he started to feel sore._

_“I beg to differ.” Inaho countered and he groaned when Slaine mustered the strength to get on top of Inaho._

_“We’ll see about that Orange.” Slaine griped while wincing somewhat in pain. “Surely you can go another round.”_

_Inaho smirked. “Do your worst.”_

“Regretting it now aren’t you?” Inaho mumbled in a groggy voice.

“Not… another… word…” Slaine cursed.

“My… ass…” Inaho retorted.

Slaine sighed and removed his hands from his face, staring at Inaho with narrowed eyes. His gaze met a pair of crimson eyes, which initially seemed apathetic of the situation. Slaine knew otherwise though; the brunette was surely relishing in his victory. It was not a matter of who did who more… rather it was a matter of going through it mutually. As much as he would like to prove Inaho otherwise, Slaine couldn’t disagree. Even as he uselessly asked himself why he went through with this arrangement, Slaine knew he would not have wanted anything to happen differently. Slaine exhaled contently and managed to turn entirely to Inaho’s face, gazing upon his other half, his nemesis and partner for the remainder of his life with eyes filled with love. He leaned toward Inaho who had attempted to sit up; their noses touched and Inaho could feel Slaine’s breath tickle his nose. The ashen blond closed his eyes and went to kiss Inaho on the lips but paused right before his lips.

Slaine smiled warmly and with their foreheads touching, he whispered, “I love you.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> **A/N2:** Kirsten's "one condition" involved the bed JFYI.
> 
>  **A/N3:** I apologize for the delay in posting this but due to the nature of what this chapter entailed, I was very hesitant and embarrassed. I've tried rewriting this many times and no matter what, the end result remained the same...
> 
> Thanks so much for the support. m(_ _)m Your encouragement to keep writing has kept me pushing forward. Sorry if this extra came short of expectations or entirely curved ball (definitely did for me). orz

**Author's Note:**

>  **A/N:** I had originally hoped to write this the week of Kaizuka Inaho's birthday but debated if I should continue this work in this manner. Per Your Request did end on a good note with very few loose ends. Thus I hesitantly write this (potential) sequel as perhaps to some maybe Per Your Request only ended there and this is literally a figment of your imagination. 
> 
> I cannot express how thankful I am of the comments and hits from Per Your Request. Furthermore, it's hard to believe it has been a little over a year since I joined AO3 and have started contributing in this manner. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for the support. (side note: Yes I purposely typed that three times)


End file.
